Meant to Be
by amaryllis214
Summary: Story about Olivia and Fitz and is set during and after the season finale. Please review, tell me what you think!
1. Chapter 1

Meant to Be

"This is insane, we are not doing this," Fitz said.

"It's the only way," Olivia replied, trying to quickly walk past him before she did something she'd regret, like grabbing hold of him and never letting go.

Instead, he grabbed her arm, turning her into his body and roughly wrapping his arms around her. And it broke her heart to see him looking so lost and uncertain and angry, like a man who sees a light at the end of the tunnel only to see that light abruptly die out. Heart in his throat, Fitz said, "What are you thinking? Who _are_ you right now?"

She couldn't help it. She reached up and pulled his head down, bringing his mouth to hers. And she kissed him with all the passion and the hopelessness and heartbreak that she couldn't put into words. She clung to his lips the way a drowning man clings to a raft—fiercely, and with singular focus and desperation. As soon as she released him, she knew she shouldn't have done it in the first place because it made it that much harder to let him go.

She looked up into those big, blue, beautiful eyes, the eyes that haunted her dreams at night, the eyes that she fell in love with—and she knew she couldn't deny him the truth.

"I'm the woman who loves you more than she loves her own happiness," she said, "Cyrus was right- it _would_ be a waste to be a normal man because you're not normal. You are a diamond in the ruff, Fitz. You are extraordinary."

He looked incredulous, and sensing he's about to argue Liv said, "I will love you, Fitz. Every minute of every day for the rest of my life I will love you and you alone." She carefully held both sides of his face and as her eyes fill with tears, she whispered, "I wish more than anything that I could keep you. Keep you all to myself, but…you, Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the third, are meant to be a great man. And I couldn't live with myself if I took that from you."

Fitz looked furious at the mention of Cyrus, but still begged her, "No, Liv. Don't do this. I am not living another moment without you by my side, don't take this chance away from us. It's the only chance we have to be togeth—"

Olivia straightened out of his arms, and, voice cracking, said, detached, "Excuse me Mr. President. I have to go."

As Olivia turned away, and she thought, _'This is the moment. This is The Big Regret. Everyone has at least one Big Regret moment where they wish they could go back in time and change things at that one instant. And this is mine. This is the moment in my life that I will always lament, the one that I will look back on every day for the rest of my days and wish that I had done things differently. Every step I take in the wrong direction—away from Fitzgerald Grant—breaks off a piece of my heart, bit by bit. And I can't look back because regardless of what everyone else might think, I'm just not that strong. If I look back and see invitation or forgiveness in his eyes, I'll run back to him, screw the consequences._

_So, no. No, I cannot look back and I cannot go back. He'll probably hate me for what I've done, but maybe it's better this way. Maybe if he hates me enough he will finally let me go. And the minute he does, I don't know what I'll do. Because the one thing I never told him was that he was it for me. There would be no other man, no happily ever after for Olivia Pope that doesn't include Fitz at my side.'_ Walking away from him was the hardest thing she ever had to do, and it trumped turning in her resignation or seeing him with Mellie.

She remembered when she was younger and would watch movies in school like Pride and Prejudice, and think, _'People aren't like that in real life. Love stories like those can only be read about in books or seen in movies'_. But she was wrong. She knew she was wrong because when she looked at Fitz, everything became right in her world.

She _loved_ him.

She loved his bravery and his mind and his genuine desire to help people. Olivia loved the sound of his voice and she loved how his hair tended to curl around the top and back of his head. She loved how his smile made her heart beat faster and how his kiss made it stop altogether. All she had was the memories they made together, and she could still feel his lips on hers from their kiss. She touched her mouth, thinking it would have to give her comfort later that night when she was alone and missing him.

* * *

Fitz watched her walk away and didn't know whether to cry or to scream. Finally, _finally_, there was a way for them to be together, and he could just see himself being normal. Maybe not tomorrow or even in six months, but in a year? In that future, he'd be joyfully married to Olivia Pope. He could see himself waking up with her in his arms and going to bed in the same way. He could see them going to a movie or holding hands or simply sitting on the couch in her apartment. He'd have no appointments, no engagements, no press conferences. In that future, he might've finally been able to feel that permanent ache in his chest—the one that hangs around the region of his heart—going away.

He would've dedicated his immediate future to his and Livy's happiness. But she took that away from him, and why? She said he was extraordinary but he would have given _anything_ to be an ordinary man in her sight. He wished a million times that he'd graciously dropped out of the campaign when he realized his feelings for Olivia because they could be happy together right now, probably with a kid on the way.

He didn't understand what made her change her mind when her kiss in the Oval office had such promise and hope. When she mentioned Cyrus, he should've known. Fitz loved Cyrus except for the times when he came between him and Olivia. It was only at times like these when Fitz wanted very much to fire his chief of staff. But it didn't matter. Liv thought she could just walk away from him? That he wouldn't come for her, no matter how long it took? No. She must know that the only way that he would ever let her go would be if she truly wanted him to and he knew for a fact that that wasn't the case.

It would be different if she wanted him out of her life or hated him, but she didn't. Other people might look at her and see a calm, calculating, collected woman but he knew better because she was in his _soul_. He knew that there was too much passion in her kisses, both in his office and the one she just gave him. And she showed too much longing in her eyes a few minutes ago for him to believe otherwise.

So he'd hold onto his anger at her for a little while because he was genuinely pissed that she could just walk away like that. But then he'd forgive her and try to see her again because what else could he do? She was it for him. There was no _happily ever after_ for Fitzgerald Grant without Liv at his side. She was the love of his life, the mate of his soul, and he wasn't going to let her go without a low down and dirty, no-holds-barred fight because he was playing for keeps. Resolved, he straightened his tie and went to get ready for the interview.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Seven weeks had passed since Olivia had seen Fitz and she was feeling…restless. Whenever she couldn't stand not being near him or hearing his voice, she would replay his campaign videos on her computer. Then she'd delete them. Then she'd un-delete them and leave the house. This was becoming a habit that she needed to break, and soon. Already she would find herself calling the secure line at the White House only to hang up before it went through.

When she'd walked away from Fitz, Liv didn't anticipate the consequences of being so close to their dream of being together only to have that dream shattered by circumstances. She felt his absence keener than she ever had before because he was angry with her-and Fitz was never angry with her. What made it worse was that she had no good reason to go to the White House, even just to catch a glimpse of him. Ironically, she was beginning to understand why he might have been tempted to sleep with Amanda Tanner. If it would force her to see him face to face so that she could 'fix' the situation, then she could understand why he did it. And because she found herself in a similar situation, thinking up ways she could get them in the same room together (no matter how outlandish), she began to forgive him for it.

It was only a few hours later that she found her opening. Joanne Pickett, the CEO of Pickett Oil Companies had invited Olivia to be her 'plus one' at a white house dinner. Liv hadn't seen Mrs. Pickett in over a year when she consulted her and her nephew out of a very…delicate…situation. When she called wanting to catch up, Olivia tried to hide her nervous excitement by pretending to check her schedule and then telling Mrs. Pickett that she would call her back to confirm. When she hung up the phone, Liv had to take several deep breaths to calm her nerves. She glanced down and saw something that no one in the world would've guessed of Olivia Pope.

She was nervous.

As evidenced by her slightly shaking hands, she was no longer in control of her feelings for him. She didn't know why this time was different, but she couldn't seem to stay away from him. It might've had something to do with her recollections of her mother and father's relationship. Jonathan and Tiffany Pope were a love story that everyone dreamed of having. Her dad loved her mom more than his own life, and when she died from a brain aneurysm, suddenly and in their bed, it devastated him. He tried to put on a brave face in front of Liv when it happened all those years ago but Olivia knew that he was just biding his time until he could be reunited with his Tiff again. Olivia hadn't thought about her parent's relationship in a few years but a few weeks ago, it hit her just how fragile life was. And how suddenly things could change.

From the moment she handed in her resignation to the president, she had always assumed that he would be there. She assumed, foolishly, that she'd have time to see him or talk to him and that he'd breathe air in this earth for decades to come. But what if that wasn't the case? What if he was assassinated or diagnosed with cancer, or any number of things that could dwindle those assumed decades down to only moments? And here she was, wasting her time in her empty apartment and incomplete heart—and for what? When she examined her reasons again, in the light of losing him, they seemed fickle, stupid, and slightly selfish.

Her parents' love should've taught her that just because some people are _meant to be,_ it doesn't mean that they _would_ be. She hoped for years with him but what if Fitz's number was up in weeks or days or hours? What if she lost him and he never knew how he'd ripped into her only to leave a part of himself behind, or how love wasn't a strong enough word to describe the depth of the emotion she felt for that amazing, strong, beautiful man?

So Olivia Pope did what she should've done two years ago. She got over herself and decided that she would go after him. Because what else could she do? She'd already wasted two years away from him, 730 days of memories that they didn't get to make, 730 moments that they could've had if she had stayed. But she wouldn't settle for the affair because it wasn't how she operated. She wanted to be his _wife_, in both name and reality. She didn't want to be the First Lady. She didn't want to be the President's Mistress or whore. She just wanted to belong to him in the right way, without any fear or shame. Now, she just had to repair the damage she'd made in their relationship and see if he still wanted her the way she so desperately needed him.

* * *

Fitz was excited and nervous. It took more than six weeks for his plan to come together but finally, that old crow Mrs. Pickett did what he'd been subtly suggesting that she do—invite Olivia as her plus one for tonight's dinner. It wasn't easy. The negotiations that they were involved in with her oil company were tedious at the best of times. He had to all but spell it out for her without seeming to out-right ask the woman to invite Olivia so that he could see the love of his life. And finally she was here. This past month and a half had been the longest, most miserable time of his life, almost equal to the time Olivia handed him her resignation and disappeared from his sight for nearly a year.

He was aware of her the second she walked into the room but he made sure that his facial expression remained the same. These past weeks had taught Fitz one thing when it came to Olivia: caution. After he allowed his anger to cool, he began to see why she saved his presidency, but he hadn't changed his mind. And he wouldn't. He knows now what he knew then—that he would have been happy with his Livy even if they had to live in a one-bedroom hut in the middle of nowhere. He could tolerate anything, live anywhere, and be anyone so long as he was with her.

But he had to be cautious because it seemed that every step he took towards her, she took a half step back. He was tired of her running from him. And, frankly, he needed to know if she really loved him as much as he loved her. He needed to know that the past seven weeks, two days and nine hours had been as hard on her as they were on him. Fitz knew her better than he knew anyone else but sometimes knowing isn't enough. He needed to hear the words. From her beautiful lips, he needed to hear the words. What she said to him this night would determine what he would do next towards his endgame, which was and would always be, Olivia Grant.

God, he'd missed her! She was wearing her hair up tonight which was his favorite style for two reasons—it showed off her lovely neck, giving his lips easy access and it also allowed him to fantasize the whole night about removing those pins from her hair.

Slowly.

She knew this, so he had to wonder if she wore her hair like that to please him purposefully, or if he was just seeing things and motives that he wished—in fact, fervently hoped—were there.

After dinner was concluded, couples started to move towards the dance floor. The president danced with the first lady and then others joined them. Olivia watched from her seat next to Mrs. Pickett and found that she couldn't keep watching them together, even for appearances' sake.

"Excuse me for a while, Joanne, I'm going to make my rounds then powder my nose. I'll be back soon, though." Olivia said.

"Oh take your time, darling," Mrs. Pickett said to her. "Linger a little and have fun. Perhaps some young gentleman will even ask to call on you!" she winked.

Olivia smiled to herself as she got up. Mrs. Pickett was the poster girl for 'old fashioned'. It was actually quite endearing.

Olivia made her way out of the ballroom and down the hall where it was virtually deserted except for the occasional guard. Two of the guards quickly walked up to her and informed her that she was to be escorted by them, and it was clear that they weren't asking. Assuming that he was having her escorted from the building, she lifted her head high and tried to ignore the itching that began behind her eyes and the tickle in her throat. So focused was she on these tasks that she didn't notice they had escorted her to one of the empty offices in the building. They closed the door behind themselves and Liv took that time to look around. And behind her, looking as handsome as ever, was her guy, Fitz Grant.

For a moment, they just stood there staring at one another, neither moving and Liv not even daring to breathe. It took her a moment to realize that this wasn't the same man that she knew before—no, this man had a hardness to his eyes and a slump to his shoulders that she'd never seen in him and it made her chest hurt to realize that she'd probably been the one to put it there. But she would not cry. Tears tended to be a womanly tool used to inspire sympathy in men, a tool that she never used to inspire anything. She would tell him her plans and her feelings without tears because he deserved her strength and her honesty.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," he said.

They kept looking at each other, her soaking him in, but his eyes stayed fixed on her face.

"Why are you here, Olivia?" he asked, no inflection, no emotion in his voice.

"I just…" Liv begins, smiling sadly, "I just wanted to be near you," she said. She stepped closer to him. "I want to be near you."

"Why?" Fitz asked, inwardly grinning like a lunatic but outwardly cold. For the first time in their association with one another, Fitz had to put on a 'pretend' face for Olivia. He knew he couldn't keep it up for long, but he didn't need to. Just long enough to hear her say the words.

Liv stared at him, realizing for the first time that perhaps she'd taken his love for granted. "Do you not know?" she asked him. He continued to look into her eyes steadily and Liv couldn't stand the aloofness in his gaze. As if she were a stranger, or worse, Mellie. She closed her eyes and confessed to him what she hoped would make him forgive her.

"Because I love you," she whispered. Then, resolved, she said louder, "I love you. I love you and I can't stand not being close to you, not being able to touch you or to even be in the same room with you—"

Olivia was cut off by a warm and wonderfully familiar pair of lips pressing urgently against hers. Her eyes flew open to see Fitz, her Fitz, kissing her as if the past seven weeks never happened and they'd never stopped loving each other. And when he kissed her he was anything but aloof and cold. He was fire under her skin and honey in her veins. He was her sunshine breaking through the clouds and she didn't want to release him until she'd had her fill.

He pulled back briefly, stroking her cheeks and looking like a kid on Christmas morning, only to go back in again, kissing her more insistently. She wrapped her arms under his jacket and around his waist, holding tight. When he let her up for air he said harshly, "You amazing, infuriating, sexy woman," he said, smiling deeply. His eyes were suspiciously bright as he said, "You know how long I've waited to hear those words from you?"

Olivia smiled, her heart lighter than it had been in almost two months. She said, "Then I'll say it every day until you get tired of hearing it—"

"I'll _never_ get tired of hearing it," he said, fiercely. "I love you and I will never stop loving you, my Livy." He laughed suddenly and lifted her up by her waist, twirling her around. She looked down into his face and felt at home, knowing that no matter what was thrown at them, they could get through it. If they stuck by each other, they would always get through it.

* * *

**_Hey guys! Tell me what you think, I know I didn't end it on a cliffhanger but cliffhangers are so exhausting! Lol. Sometimes I just want to read the end of a story and smile rather than freak out with anticipation over what might happen next. I promise to have chapter 3 up within the week, because I've gotta add drama and suspense to keep it interesting. __Don't be shy with your responses. I need feedback, people!_**


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

"Why did you leave—again?" Fitz asked. He needed to know where her head was at when she left so that he could plan on discouraging her from doing it again in the future.

She opened her mouth to respond, but then hesitated. She was afraid of what he might say but she promised herself that she would be honest with him from that point forward. She was so used to playing her cards close to the chest that it was extremely disconcerting to now show her hand to the guy looking over her shoulder. But she had a partner now and she needed to remember that.

"What if you resented me?" she asked softly. "Not immediately, but years down the road when you realize just what you gave up when you resigned from the presidency? What if you grew to hate me?"

Fitz blinked. Was this seriously what had been bugging her? Didn't she know that there was nothing she could do that would cause him to resentment her?

"No." he said firmly.

"No?" Liv asked, confused.

"No," he said. "You can't do that. You can't just make decisions for us without discussing them with me first. Livy, I love you but you need to realize that when you decide what's best for me you cause me more suffering than if we had figured it out together. We are supposed to be _together_ in this, love. Let's make a deal. From now on when we make a plan, we stick to it, without anyone's input getting in the way. Not Cyrus, not Stephen—not one person in the world can tell either of us what we should be doing or what's best." He pulled her close, placing her hands on his chest. "This is _us_, Liv."

He was right, she realized. She had handed him her resignation because _she_ thought it was best for everyone involved. She had made her plans with Mellie to keep Fitz in office because _she_ thought it was what he needed. But not once had she asked him what he wanted or what he needed. She claimed to love him but what kind of woman neglects to even ask the man that she loves what he feels and what he thinks? If they were going to be together she had to stop thinking about her own feelings. Because it shouldn't be about her or him, but about _them_. And if they went down, at least they would go down together, loving each other and unshakeable in that love.

"Okay." she said.

"Okay? That's it? No argument from you?" he asked, the corner of his mouth turning up.

"Yes. And the only thing I want to argue with you about is which takeout to order or which movie to rent," she said smiling.

"Are you sure?" he asked, lifting one hand to gently stroke her cheek. "Because I don't think I can take it, watching you walk away from me again, Livy," Fitz said, completely serious.

"Yes, I'm sure. If I leave, it'll be with you by my side, or not at all," she said.

"Good," Fitz said. He kissed her again because he couldn't help it. And he didn't want to.

"So we've decided that we're not going to live apart from each other, right?" he asked, pulling away.

Olivia said, "Yes. I want to see you at least once a month—"

"Twice a month," he corrected. "I want to see you more than that, but more often and we'd be in dangerous territory."

"Agreed," she said readily. "And those two times can't be predictable. We'll pick numbers randomly to determine which days of the month you'll be able to come over, and it can't be longer than a few hours, Fitz," she warned. "You can't come and stay all night like you did before Billy went to the press."

"I know," he sighed. "The longer I stay, the more likely it is that someone other than Cyrus will realize I'm missing."

"There's another thing, Fitz," Olivia said slowly. "I want you to tell Mellie…about us." She paused, hoping he wouldn't shoot the idea down.

"I agree," he said without hesitation. "I don't want to hide from her and I don't want to keep lying to her. No matter how much we might loathe one another, as the mother of my children, she deserves to know the truth about us. And my intentions," he said, slowly swaying with her.

"Thank you," Liv said, letting go the breath she was holding. "I was afraid that you'd want to keep it a secret."

"No," he said. "I owe her the truth and, for the rest of the term, my support. There's one more thing, Liv. In three years, when re-election comes around, I won't run again," he said firmly.

"Fitz—" she started to say, lifting her hands from his waist to put them around his shoulders.

"That's nonnegotiable, Liv," he said. "It's bad enough that we have to wait three more years to be together, I won't wait seven. Enough is enough and I'm not getting any younger. I want to spend the rest of the time that I have left with you, living a normal—"she looked at him incredulously—"okay, semi-normal, life with you." He bent down until they were eye level, saying, "Start looking for a house."

She was glad she had shoes on, otherwise he would've been able to see her toes curl at the way his voice deepened and at what he just said. Tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes but she didn't let them fall. They were hopeful tears. Happy tears.

"Where?" she asked. She also realized that they were dancing to silent music, music that was only heard by the two of them.

He smiled. Shaking his head, he said, "I don't care. Just fill it with you and I'll be happy with it."

She grinned, bringing his head down so that she could brush her nose against his own. "Okay," she said. They both knew that he had to get back to the White House dinner but they continued dancing together for a minute more.

When they reluctantly broke apart she said, "I want you to get a cell phone. An untraceable small one in someone else's name so that I can talk to you. Sometimes I just want to hear your voice," she informed him.

He laughed, pulling her close again. "On one condition," he said, "If you give me your number and keep yours on as well. I want to be able to hear your voice too. It'll help fill the time when I can't get to your apartment," he said.

She smiled, straightening his tie. "Okay, Mr. President. Time to get back out there," she said.

He laid a hand on her fingers, stopping them. "When we're alone, I refuse to be addressed by a title. Not by you. Call me Fitz. Or love. Or pookie," he said.

She smiled broadly, "Pookie? Seriously?" she asked.

"What? I'm improvising here. Anyway, those are my terms," he said, grinning.

"Deal," she said, leaning in, "Honeybun."

He kissed her briefly but passionately and released her. "You leave first," he said.

She wiped his mouth once to get all the lipstick off, then turned and left quickly, only looking back twice.

"I'm back, Mrs. Pickett. Sorry it took so long," Liv started, only to realize that Mrs. Pickett was dozing off in her seat. Olivia smiled, putting her napkin back in her lap. She was optimistic about her future with Fitz and looked forward to late night phone calls with him and the times when he'd get to come visit. While she sat daydreaming about her life with Fitz, she didn't know that in just a few short hours her world would come crashing down around her. She had no idea that all of their carefully laid plans would be meaningless by morning.

* * *

**_Hey guys! I don't want to stray too far from the reality of Olivia's character, but I did want to go more into her true feelings for Fitz. In all other aspects, she'll still be hardcore, but I wanted to show her and Fitz to be equally in love in a way that I don't think is portrayed in the show. Let me know what you guys think!_**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Fitz walked back into the ballroom, optimistic about the future. They now had a plan in place that they would follow so that they could be together. And in just 3 years, he could have everything he wanted. He grinned, thinking of his Livy. Glancing around, he found her at the table next to Mrs. Pickett. He'd have to thank the woman profusely when he met up with her again, since she was the means by which he could be reunited with the one woman in the universe who fits him perfectly.

Shaking the hand of the senator of Tennessee, Fitz prepared to give his closing speech so that everyone could get ready to go home. He couldn't wait to tell Tom, one of his most trusted personal security team members, to get him that untraceable cell phone. It had not occurred to him to get a phone but now he couldn't wait until he could call her whenever he wanted, just to know what she was doing or where she was.

He walked to the middle of the floor as he was handed a microphone. Locating Liv with his eyes, he began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, I want to take this time to thank you all for coming here tonig—"

Fitz stopped talking as a sudden pain hit his chest. He stared, confused, as blood spread across his shirt. He looked up at Liv as a second bullet pierced his chest. He tried to tell her that he loved her and that she was his life, but his lips couldn't form the words. He began to fall.

* * *

He began to fall and Olivia couldn't breathe. It took a while before she registered that the ballroom had erupted into chaos. Everyone started running for the exits and those who lingered were quickly ushered out by security. She didn't care—her only thought was, '_I can't lose him_.' The moment her brain understood what was happening, her lungs stopped functioning properly and her heart started to break. She half stood, trying to run towards him, uncaring of what anyone would think or say. All she knew was that she had to get to him.

After the first shot rang out, Fitz's security assembled and quickly found the assassin. They shot him through the head, but not before he was able to get a second shot off. Paramedics rushed into the room and immediately went to the president, but Livy got there first.

"Fitz," she cried out, putting her hands on his wounds, trying to stop the bleeding. "Baby?" her voice broke. He wasn't moving and she couldn't gather her thoughts enough to check to see if he had a pulse. The paramedics gently but firmly pushed her out of the way so that they could take his vitals and move him to the ambulance as soon as possible.

"He's got a pulse, but it's faint," the first paramedic declared, causing Liv to release the breath she was holding. They moved him to the stretcher and loaded him into the ambulance in record time. Liv climbed in the back with them and the paramedics didn't try to stop her. On arrival, Fitz had stabilized momentarily but he had to go into surgery immediately. Before she could get far into the hospital, the nurses told her she couldn't go any further and that she had to wait outside.

Tom and Hal knew who she was, but more importantly, they knew how much she meant to the president. They allowed her to stay as they secured the hospital but after that, there was nothing to be done until the doctor gave them an update. During that time, Mellie and Cyrus showed up in the waiting room. Mellie took one look at Liv and nodded once. She appreciated that Olivia had come because she knew that Liv would be the reason that Fitz fought for his life, and she needed him to live. Not only did she want to tell her kids that their dad would be okay, but she also cared for Fitz, in her own way. They'd spent so many years resenting each other and despising each other that it was difficult for her to say that she loved Fitz and _mean_ it. However, she'd known him the better part of her life, and no matter what happened between them, she could never be completely indifferent to him or pretend that she wanted him to die.

* * *

Hal was observant. In fact, it was Hal's job to observe and to deduce conclusions from those observations. For example, as he looked around the hospital, he saw Madame President as well as Cyrus enter the front doors. Cyrus' expression showed worry and sadness while the First Lady looked worried, but not in the way that he would expect a man's wife to look after her husband was shot. There was something off about her expression, something that wasn't quite genuine. When he glanced over at Ms. Pope, her facial expression showed a woman who was on the edge of oblivion, the look of a woman whose life was ripped from beneath her feet.

Hal took in both expressions and came to a conclusion that he'd wondered about for some time now. He believed that the president was romantically involved with Ms. Pope and that it was not a casual affair by any means. Hal watched the president watch Ms. Pope when she was still in the white house. He also watched Ms. Pope watch the president, but only when he was otherwise engaged. When the president wanted to leave the white house undetected, he asked Hal to take him to an address that he later found out belonged to Olivia Pope.

And lastly, when he saw the president go down a few hours ago, he looked around him to quickly assess the threat. He saw the shooter shot down by his security team but he also saw Ms. Pope's reaction, one that couldn't be feigned. She loved the POTUS and he loved her. It was not his job to judge, but to observe and assess. The information had no bearing on his job in the president's security detail. He was angry and astonished that someone got a gun in the white house. He was even angrier that he couldn't prevent the shooting. But he knew that it would just cause him to do a better job in the future and he hoped fervently that the president would pull through.

He did not know what went on in President Grant's marriage and he did not care-so long as the First Lady did not pose a threat to the POTUS himself. But when Ms. Pope came to the hospital with them, he did not hesitate to let her stay because he drew the conclusion—based off of his observations—that the president would want her there. Even more than he would want Madame President to be there when, not if, he woke.

* * *

It had been four hours since they took Fitz into surgery and Liv took the lack of an update to be a good sign. If they hadn't come out yet, it meant that Fitz was still alive. It meant that he was still here and that he might be okay. She got up to get coffee and stopped next to Tom's position by the front door.

"How are you doing, Tom?" Liv asked, standing next to him.

At first, he said nothing. Then, he began quietly, "I was '_that guy'_ today."

Liv looked at him, surprised. "What guy? What are you talking about Tom?" Liv asked.

"Twelve years ago, Marcus Feldman was the president's right hand man," Tom said. "When someone took a shot at the president, it was filmed by someone who just happened to have their camera on him at the time. I looked at the film a thousand times before I took this job, swearing—no, _vowing_—that I would never be that guy. You know what he did when the president was shot? Nothing. He wasn't fast enough. And on film, it looked like he was just standing there, passively, like some useless pansy, twiddling his thumbs while the President of the United States was shot."

"Tom, no, this isn't your fault," Olivia stated. "How could you have possibly known—"

"I take the bullets for him," Tom interrupted. "That's my job. I'm the man who stands between the president and all danger. I didn't stand between him and danger tonight. He got shot, he might die, and where was I? Too far away to get to him quickly. I was not there when he needed me, Ms. Pope, and there is nothing you can say that would make me feel anything other than guilt."

Olivia stared at him. The majority of her thoughts were still on Fitz, how he was doing, what was going on in surgery. But a portion of her heart went out to Tom and Hal. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be responsible for the physical well-being of someone else. It never even occurred to her until this moment that he would feel guilty about not being there, but she supposed it made sense.

"Do you feel that you are God, Tom?" Liv asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?" he asked, confused.

"Are you God, Tom?" she asked again.

"Of course not, Ms. Pope. I'm only human," he said.

"Really?" she asked. "Because it seems to me that you are upset that you couldn't be everywhere at all times and know everything that was going to happen. The only being capable of being omniscient and omnipotent is God himself. And if you are not God, then how could you have known what was going to happen tonight? And if you are not God, then how could you have outraced a speeding bullet and stepped in front of Fitz before the bullets hit his body?"

He opened his mouth, then closed it. Reluctantly, he grinned at Olivia. "Not my fault?" he asked her.

"Not your fault," she confirmed. "You learn from this and you move forward. When he makes it through this—and he will make it through this—you stand near him and be there for him whenever you can but you are not responsible for unforeseen circumstances beyond your control." she said, turning away.

"And Tom?" she asked before she went back into the waiting room, a room that she never wanted to enter again. "You could never be _that guy_," she said.

Tom nodded, saying, "Yes, ma'am." He then turned back to his post, his heart a little lighter than it had been before.

Olivia was glad that she could ease Tom's burdens but the only person who could lift her heavy heart was unconscious on a table, fighting for the life they'd planned to have together. Instead of going to the waiting room, she went to the hospital's chapel. When she got there, she prayed like she hadn't prayed since she was a little girl.

Olivia Pope believed in God and she wasn't sure why she'd drifted so far from Him. But today, as her life was falling apart around her, she knew that the only person who could save the love of her life would be God. So, she went to him and she hoped that he heard her. She got on her knees and she asked God for two things. Forgiveness. And for Fitz. If he gave her those two things, she'd be the most blessed person in all the earth.

After Olivia left the chapel, she went to the waiting room again. A few minutes later, the doctor came out looking exhausted. Mellie, Cyrus, and Liv all jumped to their feet. Liv stared at the doctor and willed his mouth to say what she wanted it to say, what she prayed he would say. She couldn't tell by his expression what he'd say but she held her breath and stared at the man whose next words would determine her entire future.

* * *

**_Hey guys! Stick with me, because things might seem bad now, but you have to read the next chapter to see what happens! I wanted to give a little background with Hal and Tom as well as an explanation from Mellie. I also didn't want to paint Mellie as the 24-7 bad guy like she's portrayed as in the show. I think that it's a good thing to get a bit of perspective from the other characters before we went right back to Fitz and Liv. I know that I hate it when there are cliffhangers but it wouldn't be interesting if it was all butterflies and rainbows! Please review, I'd love to hear your ideas._**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Dr. Joseph Montgomery thought today would be easy. He had routine surgeries to perform on five patients, and then he planned on going home to his beautiful wife and 3 kids. His wife was going to make his favorite dinner tonight and they were going to eat with their three wonderful kids, who were all healthy, whole, doing great in school, and weren't involved with drugs or alcohol. Many cases were rushed through his E.R. every day in which teenagers had overdosed or gotten alcohol poisoning. Seeing the devastation on their parents' faces as he had to tell them that their child wouldn't survive made the doctor so thankful that his own kids didn't run with that sort of crowd.

And then there was Cheryl.

Joseph smiled, thinking of his wife. They'd been married for twelve years but it seemed as if only a few months had passed. He was more in love with her now than he was when he first got down on one knee before her and asked her to marry him. So, all in all, Dr. Joseph Montgomery considered himself to be the luckiest man in the world.

That is, until he got the call on a secure line that the President of the United States had been shot twice in the chest and was going to be there in less than four minutes. He was very calm on the phone with the presidential security team, but he was freaking out a little on the inside. Every single person who came across his operating table was equally important to him, whether they were a homeless man or the most infamous celebrity because each person had at least one person in the world who cared about them.

However, when you are the surgeon who is supposed to operate on the POTUS, a certain amount of…pressure…is on you to do well. Because no matter what, most people considered his life to be more important than anyone else's life. He didn't want to forever be labeled the doctor who couldn't save the president, and he dared any surgeon in the country to have nerves of steel if they got the same phone call. So, Dr. Montgomery allowed himself thirty seconds of freaking out time before he called hospital security to secure the building and ordered his best nurses to immediately prep the O.R. Luckily, there were protocols in place for this very occasion, otherwise he might have been too flustered to make all the preparations in the hospital.

When the president was wheeled into his O.R., it looked bad, but fortunately, he'd seen worse. Dr. Montgomery's nerves immediately deserted him once the president was on his table because he became another patient that needed his help. This was what he did, what he lived for, and the doctor cut out all distractions as he asked for the scalpel.

* * *

It had taken many hours, but the doctor had done all he could do. As he walked into the waiting room, he didn't expect to see anyone but the First Lady. When he saw the president's chief of staff, he was prepared for it, but he was surprised to see another woman on the other side of the room, looking even more worried than Mrs. Grant. He briefly glanced back and forth between the women but couldn't make heads or tails of the situation, so he just addressed Mrs. Grant with the truth.

"Madame President," he said, "My name is Dr. Montgomery and I operated on your husband this evening. He suffered a severe injury to his aorta and left lung. He crashed twice on the table but I was able to restart his heart and repair the damage. He is alive now, but he is by no means out of the woods yet. We will monitor him closely and if he survives the night without crashing again, I am convinced that he will make a full recovery after plenty of rest."

Mellie Grant asked, "So there's a possibility that he won't live through the night? Honestly doctor, how good are his chances of survival?"

Dr. Montgomery looked at her and simply told the truth, saying, "I won't lie to you Madame President. I won't promise you that he will be fine and be back on his feet in a couple of months. In similar cases that I have seen, the patient usually has a 50-50 chance of recovery. I wish I had better odds for you, but I do not," he said. "Go and be by his side. Let him hear your voice. Sometimes the patient just needs something to keep them fighting for their life," he finished.

Mellie turned to Olivia, her eyes pleading. Liv walked up to the doctor asking, "Where is he?"

Incredulous, the doctor looked again between Mrs. Grant and the other woman, dumbfounded. Whatever was going on here was very peculiar, but he had to respect the wishes of the family so he took her to the president's bedside. The woman next to him rushed into the room and gently began kissing the president's face and whispering in his ear. Dr. Montgomery stared.

He didn't know what was happening but the woman obviously didn't seem to care that he was standing there, a witness to her love for him. The woman felt for the president what he would feel for his wife if it had been Cheryl lying in that bed, unconscious and unresponsive to him. The doctor closed the door, seeing that it was a very personal, very intimate moment that he didn't want to intrude on. He walked to the nurses' station down the hall and instructed them to not disturb the president and the first lady for any reason unless the president was crashing.

"But Dr.—," one of the nurses began.

"No buts," he said firmly. He understood the need for discretion and knew that while he himself could be trusted to keep his mouth shut, an entire hospital staff could not.

"No one goes in there without my express permission unless the patient's heart has stopped. Am I clear?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," the nurses all answered.

He turned away to go tell the first lady that it might be best if she at least stayed close by the room in case something happened and others saw someone else at the president's bedside other than his wife. He also had to inform Cyrus Beene about whether or not the Vice President would have to temporarily step in, in the president's stead.

* * *

After the doctor showed her to Fitz's room, Olivia practically ran to his bedside and began to gently kiss his face. She didn't care that the doctor hadn't left the room yet and she didn't care if the nurses walked in and saw her. She only cared about the man lying so still in front of her. The moment the doctor said that Fitz had made it through surgery, her chest stopped hurting so much. And for the first time in hours, she was able to think. For the first time in hours, she was able to breathe again. She ended her kisses softly at his mouth and it slayed her that he didn't respond like she was used to.

"You listen to me, Fitzgerald Thomas Grant III," Olivia began to whisper passionately in his ear, "I love you. I love you and I cannot live in a world in which you do not exist. It is anathema to me. You are my happiness and I literally won't be able to function if you die tonight. So you have to live, baby. Live for me, for us. That's not a request, it's an order. Because you're with me, in here," she said, pressing her hand against her chest. "You're with me everywhere I go and in everything that I do. You inspire me. You have made an impression on my soul and I simply can't lose you. So you fight, Fitz. Fight because I love you and I will hold you here for as long as it takes, so long as you look at me with those beautiful blue eyes again," she said, hoping he would awaken.

She looked up and saw no change in his expression. But there was breath in his body and that was more than she'd been dreading when she was in that waiting room. Breath meant that he still lived. Breath meant that he was still here and that was all she needed to keep functioning, to move one foot in front of the other.

* * *

Olivia remained vigilant at his side to watch and listen for any change in his condition. When the first rays of sunlight came through the tilted blinds, Olivia's heart soared. He had made it through the night! Liv wanted to leap for joy but she would be even happier if he would open his eyes. She didn't allow herself to sleep or to eat until he woke up and she only took the shortest of breaks before being right back at his bedside. Throughout the night, Mellie came to visit as well as Cyrus. Neither said a word to her but they didn't have to. No matter their differences, each of them wanted Fitz to pull through. The doctor came in to administer Fitz's medication himself, giving them privacy against the nurses' gossip and natural curiosity, and Liv was grateful for that.

Eventually, Liv found herself alone with Fitz again and she began to fuss over his covers and pillows, making sure he was comfortable. As her hands drew away, she glanced at his face and saw that his eyes were opening. She began to laugh softly and to cry as his eyes opened fully and she thanked God for answered prayer.

"You came," he said hoarsely.

Liv quickly grabbed the ice chips and put a few on his tongue to swallow. She put the cup down and with infinite gentleness touched both of his cheeks, whispering, "As long as there is breath in my body, I will _always_ come to you if you have need of me, Fitz," she kisses him gently. "Always," she breathes across his lips. She opens her eyes to see him smiling faintly before he drifts off to sleep.

* * *

_**Hey guys! So, I thought about ending this chapter with Fitz still in the wind but I decided to have mercy on you instead lol! Please review, I love to hear you guys' feedback of the stories** _


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hey everyone! Let me first give a big thank you to all of you who read my stories and subscribe me to your favorite authors lists! It warms my heart when I get those messages! Hope you enjoy the next chapter in Meant to Be!_**

Chapter 6

Fitz woke with Livy's name on his lips and an aching pain in his chest. He slowly opened his eyes and began to smile, expecting to see Olivia standing over him again. But when his eyes finally focused, he saw Mellie's face instead. His smile immediately dropped off and he asked her bluntly, "Where is Olivia?"

Mellie sighed, exasperated. "Seriously, Fitz, you could make a passing attempt at discretion," she said, chastising him. "Anyway, Liv isn't here. Once the press got wind that you made it through surgery, they started to swarm the hospital, trying to get pictures and quotes from doctors, nurses, and me. She had no choice but to leave so that her presence wouldn't be speculated on. As it is, some reporters saw her leaving, and to make matters worse, in the same clothes she had on last night. For damage control, I made a statement that you had made it out of surgery and that I needed Liv there as one of my closest girlfriends to support me in this trying time," she finished.

Fitz began to relax as Mellie finished speaking. He didn't know how to feel when she first told him that Liv had left but when she explained things he realized that she really had no choice. Fitz looked at his wife, the woman he married as part of a mutually beneficial business arrangement instead of marrying her because he loved her. He looked at her and he regretted his part in her unhappiness.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

"You should be," Mellie replied. "I don't want anyone to think, even for a moment, that I can't handle my own husband," she said.

Anger flared up but Fitz squashed it so that he could finish speaking to her without it turning into an argument.

"I wasn't apologizing to you for my lack of discretion with Livy," he said.

Mellie raised one eyebrow. "Oh? Then, for what?" she asked.

"I'm sorry for marrying you," Fitz said, hoping she would overlook his poor choice in wording. "I'm sorry for the part that I played in what has been to you a gargantuan sacrifice. I'm sorry for not being the husband that you should have. And I'm sorry that we don't love each other. Basically, I want to apologize for everything. Not just because I almost died last night. But because the apology is long overdue," he finished.

Mellie looked shocked. Then, for the first time in years, her face softened when she looked at him. Taking her hands out of her pockets, she placed one on top of the covers. She said, "Thank you. It would be so much easier if we could be in love with each other. Or if I could make myself feel about you the way Liv feels about you—"

Fitz yanked his hand away, astonished. He'd suspected that Mellie might know about him and Liv but he hadn't seriously considered it because he figured that she would've confronted him about it if she really knew.

"You knew?" he asked her.

"In the words of our daughter, _Duh_, Fitz," she replied. "Did you think I was blind and completely oblivious to the puppy dog eyes you two have made at each other over the past two years? Anyone who's paying attention can tell, Fitz. Besides, like I said earlier, you lack discretion. At least Olivia was good at pretending indifference to you when you were in public, but you were just hopeless," she said.

Fitz stared at her, trying to understand how she felt about it all. He thought he would see shock or anger on her face but neither was present.

"You're not mad?" he asked, watching her carefully.

"It would be a big fat lie if I said that I was happy for you both," she said, "But no, I'm not angry. We never loved each other and I only had your children out of obligation. We have both had lovers in the past and this is no different. We would have divorced each other years ago if not for our political ambitions—"

"_Your_ political ambitions," he interrupted. His chest was starting to hurt again.

"Mine?" she asked, disbelieving. She leaned in close, with a smug look on her face as she asked him calmly, "Why didn't you drop out of the race, Fitz?"

"What?" he asked, with a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"You heard me," Mellie said. "Why didn't you drop out of the race? It was obvious even before you became president that you were in love with Olivia. If you had dropped out of the presidential campaign, it would have been a shock to the people, but eventually, no one would even care that you existed. You would have filed for divorce and you and Liv could be living somewhere now, married and with a child on the way.

"In fact, that was exactly what I feared would happen as I saw that she wasn't just sex for you, but that it was _love_ you had for Olivia. But week after week, when you showed no signs of withdrawing from the race, I realized that you wouldn't leave me for her. Not because you love her more than me—that's a given. No, you wouldn't leave because you are just as ambitious as I am, if not more. At the time, there wasn't a thing in the world that could've stopped you from dropping out of the campaign and avoiding scandal altogether, but you did not. You. Did. Nothing." She said, scathingly.

"So make me out to be the bad guy if you wish, the one who's stopping you from being happy. But make no mistake, _husband_, that the reason you won't get a lifetime with Livy is because of _your_ political ambition, not mine," she finished, looking suddenly weary.

And she was absolutely right. Fitz had no excuse for what he'd done and all the years of resentment he'd held towards Mellie fell away. No one made him marry her. No one put a gun to his head and forced him to run for president. And once he'd found Liv, no one told him that he couldn't have her.

As he thought of Olivia, he wondered how he could've done that to her. How could a man claim to love a woman and not be willing to walk away from everything in order to be with her? In truth, he _could_ leave the White House. He would not be imprisoned or killed for leaving his wife to be with the woman he loved. There'd be scandal, yes, but underneath it all was the fear of caring what other people thought. That fear was responsible for their separation. That fear drove them to say words like 'hopeless' and 'impossible', but Fitz and Liv weren't hopeless. And it wasn't an impossible dream for them to be together. It just seemed that way because they'd all held the public's point of view to be more important, to be of more value, than what they really wanted.

_Well, no longer_, Fitz thought.

"I'm tired," he said. "Would you check on the kids for me, and tell them that I love them?" he asked.

Mellie looked at Fitz, the man she married for convenience and because she so arrogantly thought that having the prestige and power that came with having the Grant name and the title of First Lady would be worth it if the cost was true love.

She was wrong.

But she'd made her decision and there was no use in looking back in regret…for the past could not be re-written and her present self couldn't go back and tell her past, younger self what to do. She'd made her bed and she'd have to sleep in it. She had been waiting their entire marriage to hear him acknowledge the fact that he was equally responsible for the predicament they were in and for him to apologize. The fact that he did so made her soften towards him, slightly.

She only felt a little bad for opening his eyes to his own fault in regards to his failures with Liv, but she knew it had to be done. Mellie Grant was not the type of woman to hold someone's hand through tough times or withhold a bitter truth to spare their feelings.

"Not so fast, Fitz. Since I know you're out of the clear, I'll share this news with you. You can spend the rest of the day resting and thinking of how you'll present it to the media but I want you to be the first to know," Mellie said, without gloating or smugness. He wouldn't receive this well but he didn't really have a choice.

"What?" Fitz asked, not caring what she had to say. He was resolved in his decision to no longer live without Olivia by his side, and there wasn't a sentence in the world that Mellie could say that would change his mind.

Except one.

"I'm pregnant," Mellie said.

* * *

**_Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long between updates, I'll try to make them more frequent I promise! So, there was no Liv and Fitz deliciousness this chapter but there's more of that to come. What did you think of this addition to the story? Knowing how the season finale ended, I wanted to branch out into continuing that storyline a bit. Remember, everything is not always as it seems... And also, I wanted to add more depth of character to Mellie, because no one is only one facet of a personality, but multiple ones. Please review, I'd love to hear what you all think!_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Hey guys! First and foremost, sorry it took so long for an update. I have been really busy with a huge transition period in my life but I hope to have more free time coming up so that I can write more in my stories! Also, let it be known that the flashback scene has direct quotes from the show, and do not belong to me, but to ABC. But the rest is original. Please review! Thanks!**_

Chapter 7

"The president was gravely wounded by the assassin," Cyrus said into the microphones, "But he is expected to make a full recovery and will make a statement to the public this Friday. Thank you," Cyrus finished as the crowd erupted into questions.

He stepped off the podium and gave a quiet sigh of relief. He hated press conferences. Reporters gathered around like dogs hoping for a bone, and moments like these actually made Cyrus glad that he wasn't the president.

He slowed his footsteps as he thought of when Fitz was shot right in front of him. Cyrus knew that both Fitz and Olivia had disappeared from the banquet hall for a while but he grew tired of trying to keep them apart. Fitz was hopelessly in love with her and blind to anything else whenever she was in the room.

Olivia didn't wear her heart on her sleeve like Fitz did but Cyrus knew Olivia better than most—he knew that the more indifferent and cold she seemed about a situation, the more passionate she was about it. And she'd never been more indifferent and aloof as she was when Fitz was nearby.

Cyrus had geared his entire life—his entire career—towards the goal of setting foot in the White House. He also knew that he'd only do so by latching onto a gravy train like Fitzgerald Grant, and he was right—Cyrus had hit the jackpot when he and Fitz met. But this train was on a collision course simply because Fitz refused to give up Olivia Pope.

The thing about Fitz that Cyrus used to admire most was his determination. Cyrus used to believe in that determination with conviction because so few people possessed it anymore. But that same determination became something that Cyrus grew to loathe as he realized that the Grant Administration would come crashing down around them when—not if—their affair came out.

Cyrus sat down and stared up at a portrait of Alexander Hamilton. It was his favorite portrait in the entire White House because Cyrus looked up to the man. He saw in himself the same drive and commitment that Hamilton had as the guiding hand and wise counsel of President Washington. He was the man that the _very important people_ turned to when their lives were headed to hell in a hand basket; he was the man who should have had the spotlight and the recognition he deserved. Instead, he died with an unadorned picture in an obscure hallway in the White House, only to be gazed at by the occasional passerby.

Cyrus was in no way jealous of Fitz, as he himself would not have enjoyed the presidency as he once thought in his youth. It was more about putting on an image to the world that _others_ wanted to see, rather than the reality. At least when Cyrus went home for the night, he was happy. No cameras followed him home and no one could care less what he did and with whom. That was not the case with Fitz, as he wanted nothing more than to be with Olivia, an impossible dream if he ever heard one.

Cyrus did not begrudge Fitz his happiness but he also wished that Fitz would just…_do what he told him to do_! Fitz Grant was a good man, but he could be a _great_ man. If he did not love Olivia the way he did, he could be an _extraordinary_ man.

But in the same way that Cyrus could not function properly without the nitty-gritty, backstabbing politics that went on behind the scenes, Fitz could not function without her. He could not sleep, he would not eat, and he couldn't make sound decisions if everything wasn't well between him and Olivia. Just look at the mess he made with Amanda Tanner! No, if Fitz was going to be able to have his cake and eat it too, he would need Cyrus' help. Cyrus did not want to crash and burn with the Grant Administration if this all came out, so he would do what he always did to insure the success and well-being of the President of the United States.

Whatever was necessary.

* * *

Olivia hadn't seen Fitz in four days and she was becoming anxious. She wanted to see him and touch him to reaffirm that he was alright. That he was alive and well and still existed. The last time they'd talked, they were happy. They were going to talk and see each other more often. She'd been excited. She'd been over the moon because they were moving forward. Because they'd made plans.

But when she watched as those bullets went through his chest, she'd felt like she was dying. It's so strange that the one time she was willing to be truly honest about Fitz, both to him and to herself, was when it had almost been too late.

When he fell, her conscience kept screaming at her, asking, _'Why? Why did you waste even a second not being in his arms? Why did you run from him when all you wanted to do was run towards him?'_ Olivia couldn't forgive herself for the chances they missed to be together in the past, but she could learn from her mistakes and make sure that she never took their love for granted again.

"Hey," she said, smiling softly.

"Hey," Fitz said, sadly. He looked almost…regretful. He'd called her down to the hospital after night had fallen, saying he needed to talk to her, face to face.

Olivia asked, immediately concerned, "What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Liv was about to get the nurse when Fitz stopped her.

"No," he said, "I'm fine, physically. But I need to tell you something," he finished.

Liv waited. She knew that whatever it was, he would say it when he was ready. As long as he wasn't about to say he was bleeding internally or some other life threatening thing, he could say anything in the world and it wouldn't wipe the smile off of her face.

But Fitz, of course, proved her wrong.

He took a deep breath and said, "Mellie is pregnant."

For a moment, Olivia just stood there, not comprehending. But…but she couldn't be pregnant. They'd made _plans_.

* * *

Fitz stared at Olivia, the love of his life, and thought, _'She deserves so much better than this.'_

When she first walked into the room, she had looked so cautiously happy that he actually considered lying to her.

But Fitz had lied to her once before and promised himself that he would never do it again. Fitz thought back to how Olivia looked in the Oval Office on the night that she confronted him about Amanda Tanner and she had that exact same expression on her face now. He'd been scheduled to give a toast to the president of France that night, and while Cyrus briefed him on what to say, his secretary had told him that Olivia was waiting in his office.

Immediately, he headed that way, but Cyrus put a hand on his arm, saying, "Fitz, it can wait until you're done with the toast—"

Fitz cut him off saying, "No, it can't."

Making his way to the office, he turned the knob on the door.

"Livy? This is a surprise," Fitz said, happy to see her but trying not to show it. It took him exactly two seconds to realize that something was wrong and on the third, he knew what it was.

She _knew_.

And the way she was looking at him—with disappointment and hurt and confusion…with censure and regret and sadness—that look, it slayed Fitz. That look made him feel about two inches tall in her sight, but it also made him want to haul her into his arms and make sure she knew that he was _her_ man. That she was the only one who owned his heart.

But he needed to get her alone to do that.

Fitz turned and said, "We're gonna need the room, please." Cyrus looked between Fitz and Olivia, seemingly confused to be left out of the loop for a change.

Cyrus said, "Sir, you have to give that toast to the president of France in 10 minutes. Maybe you can find another—"

"We need the room," Fitz said, leaving no room for argument.

Turning back to face the music, he noticed that anger was starting to dominate her every other emotion as she started to compose her mask of indifference. But his sleeping with another woman broke past her usual reservations and left her unable to bounce back as quickly. Liv needed him to lie to her again. She needed him to tell her that he didn't sleep with that girl and that _she_ was the only person he loved. She needed that lie like she needed her gut instinct, but it seemed that both were in short order tonight.

"Livy—" Fitz said, but she wasn't hearing it.

"Sweet baby?" Liv asked. "Sweet baby," she said again, unable to hold back the tears gathering at the back of her eyes. She'd never cried in her entire life as much as she did since she'd met Fitz Grant.

He pointed to the ceiling cameras, reminding her that they weren't entirely alone. Redirecting her to the window, Fitz finally spoke.

"You left me," he said. As if that explained everything!

She'd left him because she'd had no other choice! She'd left because she was in love with a married man, because she couldn't watch him 'fake it' with Mellie in front of all the cameras anymore. She left because Olivia Pope was beginning to—quite recklessly—stop caring about public opinion.

She left because she'd wanted to keep him.

But of course, she said none of those things. "Because you are married! Because you said you wanted to try to dedicate yourself to your marriage. Because you are the _leader_ of the free world and I wanted you to be a better man," she said, losing her composure. It was slipping and she didn't know how to get it back. Not after opening the barely healed wounds caused by leaving him the first time around.

"I wanted you to be the man I campaigned for, helped get elected. The man I voted for. Do not touch me! Don't touch me!" Liv said, panicked. He was getting too close and Olivia knew that she would be completely at his mercy if he put his hands on her. Because when he touched her, the world stopped. Everything just fell to a hush and she was lost to herself, her morals, and her beliefs. But he kept coming and she didn't know how to stop him as he reached his hand out and around her. And there was a tiny—okay, a large—part of her that didn't want him to stop.

With one last, desperate plea, she begged, "Please don't—"

Fitz, of course, ignored her. He wrapped his hand around her waist beneath her jacket so that he could be as close to her skin as possible. Then he pulled her into his chest and just looked at her. God, he'd missed this! No, the situation wasn't perfect, but Fitz would take what he could get, and right now, he had his Livy back in his arms and it was the most peace he'd felt in over a year.

* * *

Those few moments he spent with his arms around her were beautiful moments that he'd never forget. Fitz wondered if she'd even let him that close to her again after what he'd just confessed about Mellie. He didn't deserve Olivia but he loved her more than he'd ever loved _anything_ and he was not noble enough to even _consider_ trying to let her go.

Olivia looked at him and just needed to know the answer to one question.

"Is the baby yours?" she asked. Liv hadn't slept with anyone since she'd met Fitz and she had-perhaps foolishly-thought he'd do the same. She had been operating under the assumption that Fitz had been loyal to her since they'd fallen in love, but when she found out he'd slept with Tanner, it put cracks in that assumption. If he'd slept with Mellie, it would _shatter_ those assumptions.

She knew that it shouldn't bother her if he was with Mellie...but it did. She knew that she was being unfair. Olivia knew that she'd backed Fitz into a corner when she made that… arrangement...with Mellie behind his back, but she didn't think she had any other choice at the time. Now, she wished she'd let him leave the White House to be with her as he'd planned, no matter how selfish that decision might have been.

But she needed to know. She needed to know if he slept with Mellie and got her pregnant. She needed to know if she would always be envious of Mellie Grant. Mellie, who had the whole world by having the right to call Fitz Grant '_husband'_ and having the freedom to love him openly. All of which were privileges that Mellie couldn't care less about.

Fitz looked at Olivia and wondered if their love was hopeless. He wondered if they were just that unlucky to have found each other only to forever be just beyond reach. He hoped that wasn't the case. He _prayed_ that that wasn't the case.

Fitz looked into Liv's eyes and he told her the only thing he could tell her—the truth.

* * *

_**What do you guys think he'll say? Yes? Or No? Please review!**_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"No," Fitz said.

"No?" Olivia asked, wanting to be sure.

"No," Fitz confirmed, "The baby isn't mine. Mellie had an affair," he said.

Liv released the breath she'd been holding since Fitz told her that Mellie was pregnant. She'd been dreading hearing those words ever since Mellie told him of their 'deal' in order to keep Fitz's affair out of the news. "But…but Fitz that's good news. What's wrong?" Olivia asked, relieved. But she didn't understand why Fitz seemed almost upset about it.

"Whenever I think we might be free from everything, something else comes up that keeps me away from you," Fitz said. "I want you. I want us to have a chance. But I feel as if—I don't know—like the world doesn't want us to be together," he finished, not looking at her.

"What are you saying, Fitz?" Liv asked, already knowing the answer. Mellie was pregnant but Fitz wasn't going to leave her. He _owed_ her and he wouldn't hang her out to dry. She was, after all, his wife.

"I'm saying that it doesn't matter that she slept with someone else and got pregnant, Liv. Because she knows about our affair and she gave me an ultimatum yesterday, Liv. I had to play along like the child is mine, or she'd go to the media about our relationship. And you know how well she can play to the sympathies of the female population," Fitz said, thinking of when Mel had lied to the public about a miscarriage that never happened.

"I think…I think you should go," Fitz said, wanting to take the words back as soon as they left his mouth. He didn't want her to go. He wanted her to come closer and climb in bed with him and tell him that she would never leave, even if he asked it of her.

She didn't do that. Liv looked at him, frozen in place. They had made plans to be happy together until he could leave the White House and divorce Mellie. But now _this_ happened. She didn't know what to say to Fitz but she knew that he didn't really want her to leave. No, he'd want her to fight him on this and remain at his side. Through the rest of this term, but then what? Mellie could still go to the media about Fitz and Liv's relationship simply out of spite if she wanted to.

"I'm not good for you," Fitz said, getting to the crux of the matter. Everything he'd just said to her about wanting her to go and the world not wanting them to be together was total crap. He didn't want her to go.

And the world could go screw itself.

But he had to do what was best for her, instead of what was best for him. It was a first in their relationship, he thought. Fitz felt that he had always been selfish when it came to Liv, while she was the selfless one. But for once, he decided to put her first. "This—it doesn't make you happy. And I want you to be _happy_, Liv." he said finally.

Liv stared at him. He'd never walked away from her, but he was doing so now. She wanted to tell him that they could still make it work and that they would figure out a way for him to be free of Mellie, but the words didn't escape her lips.

Because, in a way, he was right.

She wasn't happy. In his arms, yes, she felt joy and contentment, but when he wasn't with her, she didn't feel that way. She wasn't happy about the lying and sneaking around. She wasn't happy that she couldn't tell her family about this incredible man that she was in love with. She wasn't happy that she was labeled 'the other woman' or 'home-wrecker' by both society's standards as well as her own. _Fitz_ made her happy, but maybe love…maybe it wasn't enough this time.

Liv turned and left the room after having memorized his face once more. She didn't trust herself to speak because she was afraid of what she'd say. Already, she could feel the tears try to break through her eyes and knew that she only had minutes before she lost the battle of holding them back.

_Perhaps it's for the best_, Liv thought as she schooled her facial expression for any camera men that might be lurking around the hospital. _It's for the best._

* * *

**One year later.**

* * *

"If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?" Fitz asked as he kissed his way across Olivia's bare shoulders. They were lounging in bed on a Saturday morning after Fitz had cooked her a disaster of a meal the night before. She smiled as she thought of last night. Fitz had been determined to cook but when he got to the kitchen in the cabin he'd rented for them, Fitz had to admit to himself that he hadn't cooked food for himself in years. Olivia laughed while she watched him chop broccoli and carrots, using all the wrong seasonings.

Her offer of assistance was rejected. "Fitz, let me help," Liv said, stepping down from the stool to make her way to Fitz's side.

He laid the knife down and picked her up, tossing Liv over his shoulder. She shrieked and laughed as he deposited her back in her seat. Lifting his head and grinning, he said, "You work too hard for me during the week. Let me do this for you tonight," Fitz bent down and kissed her quickly before returning to the stove.

While he cooked, they talked about ordinary things, which made Liv happier than anything else. Talking about the weather and football made Liv feel like they were a couple, stealing a weekend together away from the office and the secrets that made up their daily lives. In the end, Fitz, with a flourish, served her burnt tilapia and undercooked vegetables.

It was the best meal she'd ever had.

Liv lifted her hands to trace his lips as she thought about his question. She'd been to several different countries in the past ten years, all of them with beautiful sights. But there was one place she'd wanted to visit since she was a little girl.

"The Dominican Republic," she said.

Fitz leaned his head back and laughed uproariously. He then rolled them over, pinning Liv beneath him as he moved his mouth across hers.

"I'm serious!" Olivia said when he released her lips.

"Why the Dominican Republic?" Fitz asked, intrigued. Most people said Italy or France or Venice. Even Hawaii or the Bahamas. But not Olivia Pope. Oh no, Liv would always pick something non-conventional. It was one of the things he loved about her.

"My mom and I used to plan trips to the places that we wanted to go. There was one trip that I remember in particular. I, being a little girl, twirled the miniature world globe around in dad's office, closed my eyes, and put my finger on the globe. When I opened them, I saw my finger on the Dominican Republic.

"I asked mom if we could go and she said we'd make a weekend trip out of it. Only, we never went. Mom and I were closer back then and I've always wanted to go, but I just never got the chance," Liv said, shrugging her shoulders. She didn't want to dwell on the past. Shaking her head, Olivia said, "Tell me about one of your favorite relatives."

"I love all of my family members equally," Fitz said with a straight face.

Liv just looked at him, one eyebrow raised.

He said, "Okay, my granddad was my favorite," Fitz grinned, sitting up.

Smiling, Liv asked, "Why?"

"My grandfather was a great man," Fitz said, pulling Liv into his lap. "He used to pick me up when I was a kid and put me on his shoulders. As a child, I thought nothing of it, but now I can appreciate the strain he must've endured on my behalf just so he could lift me," Fitz paused, his fingers entwined with hers. "He was my hero. My dad thought that I got into politics to follow after his footsteps, but I did it because of my grandfather," he said.

"But your grandfather was a union worker," Liv said, having read into Fitz's history before she'd come to work for him last year.

"Yes, he was. My father was so anxious to distance himself from his father and move onto greener pastures, but the one thing my father never seemed to grasp was that there was decency and honesty in hard labor that is, sadly, absent in the political arena," Fitz said, leaning down for a quick kiss before resuming his story. "As politicians, hidden agendas and the seeking of power is always a present thing. Even if the politician himself isn't seeking to climb the metaphorical ladder, there are those that he has surrounded himself with that, inevitably, are.

"Grandpa may not have had a presidential seat, and he sure as heck didn't have any interest in public office. What he did have was the love of every person in his small town. He was Uncle Bob to everyone that knew him and people always came to him with their concerns. He was the Olivia Pope," Fitz squeezed her as he said this, "of our little town. I'd looked up to him because he seemed to gain the loyalty and love of others, not by secret machinations or manipulating people. But by being genuine in his concern for their well-being and doing what he could to help them when they came to him with their problems. He inspired me to become the man I am today," he finished.

Fitz nipped at her bottom lip. But instead of letting him pull back, Liv captured his lips with her own, curling her fingers in his hair to keep him in place. Olivia thought she'd known happiness when she'd gone to Spain for a month during college, all expenses paid. She thought she knew happiness when she'd gotten her law degree. She used to think that happiness was being able to make your own way in the world, without having to depend on your parents or relatives to help.

_But this was what it meant to be truly happy,_ Liv thought. Being in the arms of the person you love most in the world, on a quiet Saturday morning.

"Olivia?" he asked. Only it wasn't Fitz's voice…

"Olivia?" Liv snapped out of her daydreaming and stared at Huck. He was looking at her as if he'd called her name several times already.

"Yes?" Liv asked, locking her memories away again for another time. Fitz had taken her to that cabin several times after he'd been appointed President, and those times were a few of the most precious memories she possessed.

A year.

It seemed longer. But it had been an entire year since she'd seen Fitz in person, and it had been three months since she'd daydreamed about one of their getaways. They were _over_, and she needed to accept that. She needed to move on.

"Our newest client is here," Huck said, eyeing Liv critically. He had that way about him that made a person feel as if he knew all their secrets. "Are you okay?" Huck asked with a worried expression on his face.

Liv took a deep breath and stood, straightening papers on her desk that didn't need to be straightened. "I'm fine, Huck," she said. "Why wouldn't I be?" she asked him, hoping he'd drop it. _Indeed, why wouldn't she be?_ Huck pondered. Pope & Associates had made more money in the last eight months than they'd acquired since opening. It was as if Olivia had come into the office with a vengeance a year ago, holding nothing back.

Huck was worried about her.

The President had gotten shot last year and Liv seemed really devastated about the fact, but Huck saw that behavior as normal. What wasn't normal was Olivia's almost obsessive work ethic _since_ he'd been shot. It was as if Liv was trying to drown herself in work so that she could drown out some other feelings. Huck knew the tactic because he used it himself.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say that she was going through a bad breakup.

He knew that Olivia and the president were close because of the campaign, but Huck had long suspected that it was much more than mere friendship that inspired her moods regarding President Grant. Liv was hurting and there was nothing he could do about it.

Or, was there?

Huck didn't judge and it absolutely wasn't his business, but now, he thought it was time to make it his business. Huck didn't care if he was the Pope or the POTUS—if a man was out there who hurt Olivia Pope, he would pay.

* * *

_**Hello all! I'm sorry it's taken so long for an update, but quality is important and I want to keep writing good stories, even if it takes a little longer to upload them. This chapter was a little lighter than they usually are because I think it's important to add a little lightness to a story so that it's not all filled with drama. Tell me what you think!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! It's a short chapter, I know. But I will hopefully have the next chapter up in a couple days. Enjoy, and please review!**

Chapter 9

"And how is my favorite son doing?" Cassandra Grant asked, staring up at her only son as he leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Hi mom," Fitz said, smiling broadly. "Thanks for coming," Fitz said, happy to see her. Fitz had never really gotten along with his father, but his mother had been the crown jewel in his life since he was little. The only other woman he'd ever met who could compare to her in class, worth, beauty, and virtue, was his Olivia.

"When the President of the United States calls and says he wants to see you, you obey because you have to. When that man is also your son, you come _running_ because you _want_ to," Cassandra said, smiling.

"Come inside," Fitz said as he assisted his mother up the White House steps. He hadn't been able to see his mother very often since he took office, but he missed having conversations with her. Cassandra always had a fresh perspective of life, an uncanny ability when it came to raising her son.

Fitz, knowing she would want to see her grandkids, hurried to assure her, "Mellie and the kids actually just left to visit Mel's father, but they should be back by tomorrow night at the latest—"

"I didn't come to see my grandbabies, although I will see them before I leave. I came to see you, Fitz," Cassandra said. "Take me to your lovely gardens. We'll talk and then have a nice, hot cup of tea," she said cheerfully.

The past year had been tough on Fitz since he'd broken it off with Olivia. Daily life was filled with meetings, speeches, and routine. Every morning he woke and got dressed. He ate his breakfast and walked down to his office to start his day. From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., everyday, for the past year, Fitz had simply been going through the motions. Speak in _this_ microphone, smile _here_, and shake the hand of _this_ person. Day in and day out, Fitz just wanted to get through the day so that he could have his nights.

His dreams.

And in his dreams, he was free. He dreamt of the times he took Olivia to their cabin. They were both so free and so open with one another then. They could pretend, if only for a day, to be a normal, carefree couple. They'd cook and talk and make love by the fire. Fitz held onto those memories like the lifeline they were. Because they kept him sane. They kept him from going crazy and simply getting in a car and driving away from the White House, with no intentions of returning.

"Fitz?" Cassandra asked, watching as her son schooled his features to the polite mask he wore on television. She'd caught him daydreaming while she was talking to him and by the brief, but sincere, expression on his face, whatever he'd been thinking about made him happy in a way she had never seen her son.

"What?" Fitz asked, realizing he was thinking of Liv while his mother was in front of him, talking.

"I said that these gardens are lovely, but your mind seemed to be occupied," she said, trying to gauge his feelings. "What were you thinking about just now?"

Fitz swallowed and looked away from his mother's shrewd eyes. "Nothing—" he started to say.

"Still a terrible liar, I see," Cassandra said, sipping the tea she was given a few minutes ago. She placed the cup down on the table and reached for her son's hand. "I think I know when something's wrong with my own child. Tell me, honey. What's bothering you?" she asked, wanting him to open up to her like he used to.

Fitz looked at his mother and he wanted to confide in her. He wanted to tell her what he was going through so that she could give her advice and tell him how to fix it. Fitz couldn't keep living half of a life. So, he took a deep breath and started from the beginning. "Four years ago, when I was still governor, I wasn't doing well on the campaign trail. Cyrus introduced me to someone, a woman, who could help. You met her once, remember? Her name was Olivia Pope…"

It took Fitz almost an hour to retell the whole of their story, and he sat back and waited for her reaction. She'd interrupted a few times to ask questions, but had mainly remained silent while he talked. Fitz waited for her to berate him for cheating on his wife, to scold him for putting his needs before the country. But she instead did something that Fitz didn't expect.

She started laughing.

And not cute, demure laughs, either. They were big guffaws of laughter that had her holding her sides in mirth. Fitz was dumbfounded. His life had fallen apart and he just wanted his mother to support him and offer some advice. Not laugh herself into a heart attack.

"Mom, I fail to see the humor in this situation," Fitz said, starting to get a little ticked off.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Cassandra said, stifling her laughter. Her son's life had become more of a soap opera than her daytime television soaps she usually watched. "It's just that…all this time I thought you led this boring, uninteresting life. You're the president, yes, but with that cold wife of yours, and no time for privacy or hobbies, I thought that maybe you weren't being adventurous enough. I came here, prepared to suggest you take up golf or something. Boy, was I mistaken," she said, serious now.

As Cassandra thought about her son's situation, the mirth began to fade from her expression. Now that she was looking at him a little closer, she could see the stress his body had been through and the sadness his eyes couldn't hide. And it broke her heart to see her son so miserable.

"Do you love her?" she asked him, wanting to know the answer.

"Yes," Fitz said, without hesitation.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"Because…because she's the only person that I see. She is all that I want and all that I think about. She makes me breathe easier. She makes me laugh when I only see the doom in a situation. She's a puzzle to everyone else, but not to me. I _get_ her. I became president so that I could help others, because I have a passion for the people, but Liv—she now _drives_ that passion in me. I love her because without her, I just feel like…I don't know, like a pivotal part of me is missing," Fitz finished. He chanced a glance at his mother's face and asked her, "Is that wrong?"

Cassandra looked at her son and realized that he was _besotted_. She'd never liked Mellie because there was such a calculating gleam in her eye that she couldn't hide from Cassandra, no matter how prettily she smiled. She was outwardly beautiful, but there was never any fire between Mellie and her son.

Having been married to Fitz's father for over 40 years, Cassandra Grant knew a thing or two about love and marriage. One needed more than just lust to have a full and lasting marriage. Lust fades over time and changes like the leaves on a tree. A couple also needed to have some sort of spark to ignite any kind of flame to life between them, but Fitz and Mellie had never even gathered the wood for the fire.

Cassandra had been against the marriage from the beginning, and she'd gotten into a huge fight with her husband, Fitz's father, about it. She'd argued that he wasn't in love with Mellie and shouldn't waste the years of his life with a woman who seemed incapable of returning any love that could develop between them. Her husband had argued that Fitz needed a serious wife who would stand by him in the game that is politics. He didn't need passion in his marriage as long as he had her loyalty and support.

But Cassandra hadn't agreed. She'd believed that it was mistake for him to marry Mellie, because if someone did come along, whose heart called to his…someone who unleashed passion and love into her son's heart, he wouldn't be able to pursue her or go to her, not only because of his public position, but because he was in a relationship with Mellie. Cassandra hoped and prayed that that wouldn't be the case for her son, but as it turned out, she was right.

She'd never seen her son so smitten when he talked about any girl. Not Jessica, who he dated in high school, or Tiffany, who he'd taken to prom. And definitely not Mellie.

But this Olivia Pope, who he says she met once, seemed to own her son's heart. Cassandra needed to meet this woman again, properly this time.

"Of course it's _wrong_, son," Cassandra said, answering his question. "I won't tell you that it's okay to step out on your wife, or risk your family like that. We just have to make it _right_, that's all," she said, planning. She needed to meet with Olivia and speak with her. Obviously, her son couldn't just go out and show up at her home or place of work, especially if they hadn't spoken in a year, like he'd said. "And you want her back?" she asked, wanting to be sure.

"Desperately," Fitz said immediately.

"Then make it right, son," Cassandra said, standing up to give him a kiss on the forehead. "Now, I'm going to go inside and mess with Cyrus. The man really needs to get a sense of humor," she said with a wink.

Turning one last time, Cassandra said to Fitz, "You only live this life once, honey."

Fitz stared after his mother as she walked inside, wondering why he hadn't spoken to her sooner. He remained seated in the garden, pondering the entirety of his relationship with Liv, from the moment they met until today. And he wanted nothing more than to hold Liv in his arms again.

But he'd been the one to break it off and he didn't know how to tell her how he really felt. Besides, what if she'd moved on? An entire year had passed. What if she'd gotten serious with someone else and just wanted to be left alone? Could he really just barge back into her life again and hope they could pick up where they'd left off?

Fitz wanted to throw something at the thought of her being with someone else, either physically or emotionally.

She was _his_.

That thought pulled Fitz up short. She _was_ his. And he was hers.

That realization solidified Fitz's resolve and Fitz began to feel an excitement that hadn't been felt in almost a year. They would find a way to be together because Fitz refused to believe that he was meant to live the rest of his life in misery and pain. He would do his duty and serve his country, but he would no longer do so at the cost of the one person he couldn't live without.

He would go after Liv, and he would never let her go again.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It had been a long day. After his mother had gotten settled into one of the guest bedrooms, Fitz had continued to go about his day. Cyrus literally had to push Fitz out of his office so that he could go to bed. Making his way to his room, Fitz nodded goodnight to his guards and went into his room. He and Mellie had gotten separate rooms over two years ago and it was one of the best decisions he'd made since taking office.

Fitz threw his jacket on a chair and moved to the scotch table to pour himself a drink. Mellie would be back tomorrow evening so he had a precious night to himself. Walking further into his bedroom, his thoughts were on Liv and what he should do to approach her after all this time.

Fitz slowed his steps as he came to a realization. It might have been a while since he was in the military, but there were some aspects of his training that he would never forget.

There was someone else in the room.

But before Fitz could turn around, he was grabbed from behind and tripped onto the floor. Fitz hadn't even considered yelling for his guards. He might be the president, but just because he had security guards, it didn't mean he was helpless. Besides, the man obviously wasn't here to kill him since he could've done so with a blade, a needle, or a pistol with a silencer.

The man put his hand to Fitz's mouth but Fitz was able to flip him over and land a punch in his side. The man grabbed Fitz's wrist and pulled his arm behind his back, locking him in a hold that Fitz couldn't break.

"Hello, Mr. President," Huck said.

Fitz freed his other arm and elbowed him in the gut. The man grunted and quickly released him.

"I haven't decided yet if I'm here to hurt you," Huck said, stepping away from him.

Fitz got off the floor and stepped back, putting a few feet between him and the stranger. "Who are you?" he asked, trying to remember where he'd seen the man before.

"You might not remember me, but my name is Huck. I helped your wife during your presidential campaign when some…questionable…pictures came to light that suggested she might be cheating on you," he said.

It took Fitz a minute but then he remembered. Back then, Huck had a beard and no pants. He also smelled like he'd been living in a dumpster, but Fitz had underestimated him. Not only was the man a whiz at computers and technology, but he'd had combat training. And he was obviously very skilled if he was able to get into the bedroom of the President of the United States without detection.

"I remember you," Fitz said, "Now that we've been reacquainted, do you want to tell me what you're doing here?" Fitz worried for a moment that maybe Olivia had sent him, but quickly squashed the thought. She knew that if she needed him, there were far simpler and easier ways of getting his attention than the stealth and danger that were involved with breaking into the White House.

"I'm here because of Olivia," Huck said, as he settled himself into a chair in the corner of the room. "What did you do?" Huck asked.

Fitz quickly got over the shock of Huck's obvious knowledge of his and Liv's relationship. "I don't know what you mean—" Fitz started

"Cut the crap, Mr. President," Huck said, dead serious. "You hurt her, didn't you? She's miserable all the time and she's never happy anymore. Again, I ask, what. Did. You. Do?" Huck needed to get to the bottom of this. He owed Olivia his life. She'd pulled him back from the abyss when he'd been in a really bad place and Huck had to repay her for her kindness.

Fitz blew out a breath and sat at the edge of his bed. Strangely enough, Huck's words gave him hope. Hope that she missed him as much as he missed her. Hope that they still might have a chance.

"I messed up," Fitz admitted. "But I'm going to make it right." Fitz straightened and assessed Huck as he sat calmly across from him. "Maybe you could help me with that…"

Twenty minutes later, Huck left Fitz's room with a clear assignment in his head. If the president's plan was going to succeed, Huck had to get in touch with several of his old contacts and move some things into place.

Fitz's guards looked startled to see Huck exit the room and Huck looked grimly at them. "Check each room that the president enters, even from the relative safety of his home. Don't assume that just because you're at the White House, there are no dangers lurking around the corners. The photographers, janitors, or the marines visiting just to shake his hand…anyone and everyone could be a potential threat," Huck said before he walked away.

_Amateurs_, he thought.

* * *

"We've been doing well this year and I just want to say thank you to each and every one of you for a job well done," Liv said to her team.

Liv had called a meeting around the conference table this morning. She wanted to show her amazing team that she appreciated all their hard work the past year. Pope & Associates had become very successful recently and Liv knew that she couldn't have done it without them.

There were gifts wrapped in front of each member of her team. As they ripped off the wrapping paper, Liv secretly smiled. They probably thought she was buying them iPods or something equally useless.

Abby's smile faded when she realized what the gift was. It was a day planner. She looked up at her boss with a question in her eyes.

"It's so that you can stay organized," Olivia said, smiling as Huck, Stephen, and Harrison all opened planners just like Abby's. "These aren't your typical planners, either. They are voice activated and have a computerized system that will help you stay on top of all your appointments and daily tasks," Liv delighted in telling them.

Huck seemed to be the only person actually happy with his gift. While Harrison and Stephen gave Olivia an obviously fake smile, Abby didn't try to hide her displeasure in the slightest.

But before Abby could say anything, two men who were obviously White House security came up by the elevator. As they stepped into the lobby, Liv went to meet them.

"What can I do for you gentlemen?" Liv asked.

"The President of the United States would like an audience with you, Ms. Pope," the first guard said. Olivia didn't recognize either of them but she didn't expect to.

"Alright," Liv said, a little thrown. He hadn't spoken to her in a year, yet he was commanding her presence? _Why hadn't he just called?_ She wondered. _Did he think I wouldn't answer?_ "I can be there this afternoon—"

The first guard cut her off, saying, "Now would be best, ma'am. He instructed us to wait here and escort you to the White House."

Olivia narrowed her eyes on the guard. At first, she was hesitant, but now, she was ticked off. Why was he doing this? What if she was busy or was in a meeting with a client? What if she didn't want to see him?

"Fine," Olivia said, turning to get her jacket.

"I'll go with you," Huck said. He quickly stepped to her side but Olivia wasn't going to argue. Liv didn't know these men and she would want someone like Huck with her.

As they got into the black SUV, Liv's heart began to race. Her mind filled with thought of Fitz and what could possibly be the reason he'd sent for her this way. _Did something happen? Did he want to get back together?_ Her traitorous heart gave a happy leap at the thought but Liv quickly squashed the hope. She didn't know what to expect, but Olivia didn't know if she could handle being in the same room with him without pouring her heart out and wishing for impossible things.

_Well_, she thought as she gazed out the window, _we're about to find_ _out_.

* * *

"You can't just go around summoning people, you know," Olivia said as she walked into Fitz's office. She'd left Huck and the guards in the lobby outside of the Oval Office. "It's rude."

Fitz closed his eyes briefly when she began speaking. He'd missed hearing her voice. "If I gave you time to think about it, I wasn't certain you'd come," Fitz admitted freely as he stayed seated behind his desk. He wanted to get up and hold her, or better yet, pull her down into his lap. But he had to be patient.

Cautious.

"Besides, I'm the President of the United States. I can do whatever I want to do," he said, wanting to see her crack a smile.

"Not everything," Liv said quietly. He couldn't walk away from his position. He couldn't be with her.

Fitz stared at her and conceded that she was right. But things were going to change. If she forgave him, _everything_ was about to change.

"Sit," he softly suggested, hoping she'd take the invitation.

Liv moved to the chair directly in front of him and sat down. She expected Fitz to get right to the point, but instead he just kept staring at her, as if wanting her to speak first. She really wished he would just say what he needed to say so that she could leave, because the longer she stayed in his presence, the more she wanted to go back to the way things used to be. And the more she looked at him, the harder it was for her to hold onto her anger and stop herself from moving around the desk to be in his arms again.

"Any day now, Fitz," Olivia said, wanting him to get it over with. She needed to get out of there before she did something she didn't want to do—like forgive him.

"Just…let me look at you," Fitz said, mapping her features with his eyes. Even when she was angry with him, he couldn't seem to look away. "Just for a minute," he promised, hoping he'd find the words that would make her want to be with him again.

Fitz choked out the question, "Have you…moved on?"

Liv couldn't stand it anymore. Getting up abruptly, she began to walk to the door, but Fitz quickly got up, saying, "Wait, Liv."

But she didn't want to wait. Already, tears were gathering in her eyes at the cruelness of being so close to him yet so far away. Being away from him this past year had made her feel unsettled and shaken. She didn't want to be around him anymore because it hurt too much not to be able to have him.

"I can't move on!" Liv yelled as she rounded on him.

Fitz looked at her, stunned. Olivia had never yelled at him before. He'd seen her angry but she never raised her voice.

"I can't get over you. I've tried, _believe_ me, I have most definitely _tried_. Just the thought of being with someone other than you literally makes my skin crawl—"

He started to walk towards her but Liv put her hand out to stop him. And he did what he usually did—he ignored the hand and kept walking.

"Don't come any closer," she said angrily, upset that he kept coming towards her when she wanted distance. It was like a dam had broken and she couldn't stop her real feelings from coming out. "And I can't be with _anybody_, and what's worse is, I don't _want_ to be with anybody else. You have ruined me for all others and I hate you for it! Do you understand? I hate you! I hate—"

Liv never got to finish her sentence.

He'd reached her by then and he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist in a hold that she couldn't break. Without hesitating, his mouth descended on hers, cutting her off. She tried to push him away but he wouldn't budge until she surrendered to him.

And, eventually, she did.

Because Olivia had been blind to anyone else since Fitz had first secretly confessed his love for her in front of millions of people on the campaign trail. Because she didn't want to kiss anyone else or have any other person's arms wrapped around her. She let him kiss her and she eagerly kissed him back because walking away from him simply wasn't an option anymore.

"Why?" she asked, when he reluctantly released her. She wanted to know why he'd called her here. Why he'd told her to be happy without him—an impossible task.

She wanted to know why he'd pushed her away in that hospital room.

Fitz stared down into her eyes, and instead of spouting crap about wanting her to move on or him not being good enough for her, he told her something equally true.

"Because I'm an idiot," he said simply. "You don't know how many times I've wished that I could go back and change what I did," he said, carefully lifting his arms to place both of his hands on her face. He traced her features as he said, "You are the love of my life, and I am so sorry that I hurt you," he ended on a whisper.

When he apologized, Liv couldn't hold onto her anger. Using the grip she had on his hair, she pulled him down and crushed his lips against her own. And with his kiss, he owned her. With his mouth he told her just how completely he'd merged his soul with hers.

"I'm sorry too," Liv breathed across his mouth.

"What for?" Fitz asked. He'd shifted his hands to her neck, down her sides, and around to her bottom. As he pulled her closer into his body, Liv had trouble thinking clearly.

"For letting you push me away," Liv said. "I love you. And I can't be without you again," she said simply, shaking her head.

"You won't be," he said. Fitz pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers for several minutes. He smiled and her smile followed.

Fitz was about to lean down to kiss her again when there was a knock on the door. Fitz pulled away from Olivia as she went to sit on the couch. "Don't go anywhere," he told her sternly as he went to open the door.

"I won't," Liv said, smiling.

Fitz opened the door to see his mother standing there, a smile on her face. "Hey honey," Cassandra said as she stepped past him and into the room. "Have you eaten lunch—?" she began to ask him until her eyes fell on Olivia.

Olivia quickly stood to her feet.

"And who is this lovely young woman?" Cassandra asked, remembering her now. She _had_ met Olivia Pope, but she hadn't thought much of the meeting at the time. It was a good thing she'd walked in when she did if her son's slightly disheveled appearance was any indication as to what they'd been up to. She wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't seen him an hour ago, with perfectly smoothed hair and a freshly pressed shirt. Now, his hair was slightly out of place and his shirt had several wrinkles in it. They needed to save _that_ for another time, when Fitz was free to claim Ms. Pope as his own.

Liv stood, warily watching the woman approach her. "Mrs. Grant! It's lovely to see you again," she said, totally unprepared to meet Fitz's mother. She'd met her on the campaign trail, but this meeting had a different feel to it. Like she was meeting the mother of the man she loved, not the man she worked for.

"Likewise, dear," Cassandra said, shaking her hand. The woman was positively _stunning_. And Cassandra liked the way she had looked at her son in that brief moment when he'd opened the door, before she realized she was being watched.

Like he was her _world_.

"Have you had lunch dear?" Cassandra asked, wanting to sit and talk.

"Uh, well…" Liv was stuck. She should get out of there before Mrs. Grant asked her any questions that she didn't want to answer. But she didn't want to be rude and say no, either…

"Excellent," Cassandra said, taking the decision out of Olivia's hands. "You can both join me in the dining room," she said, looking at Fitz.

At that exact moment, Fitz's secretary, Helen, stuck her head in the door. "Mr. President? You have a video conference in ten minutes with the department heads. They're gathering now," she said.

Fitz nodded his thanks and turned back to his mother. Behind her, Liv was shaking her head profusely, mouthing the word 'no' over and over. Fitz smiled and said, "You two get started. I'll meet you there when I'm finished," he said, kissing his mom on the cheek. Olivia scowled at him but pasted a smile on her face when Cassandra turned back towards her.

"Good. It'll be just us girls," Cassandra said, smiling.

_Yay_, Liv thought sarcastically as she walked past Fitz. He ran his hand down her hair as she walked by, so Cassandra didn't see, but Liv felt it. _What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

**Hey everyone! Hope you liked the chapter! What do you think Fitz told Huck to do for him? What will happen next? I should have the next chapter up in a few days, so please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"What is it you do, exactly, Ms. Pope?" Cassandra asked, settling into her chair.

"I'm a crisis manager, Mrs. Grant. I help others in their time of need, and I am often the last resort for most people."

"That's very interesting, dear. I imagine that my son had great use for you during his campaign," she said. Liv smiled and nodded.

_Time to tread carefully_, Liv thought.

"In fact, you could've been even _more_ useful at the White House," Cassandra continued. "Why didn't you stay?" she asked.

Liv put her spoon down and looked her in the eye. She got the distinct feeling that Cassandra knew more than she pretended to, but Liv couldn't be sure. And she couldn't lie to Fitz's mom.

"I enjoyed working for Fitz very much," Liv began carefully. "It was an experience that I'll never forget, and will be eternally grateful to him for. I left a few months into his presidency and opened Pope & Associates and we've been doing well ever since," she said.

"But that's not an answer to my question, Olivia," Cassandra said, staring the woman in the eye.

Liv looked at Mrs. Grant, the woman who bore and raised the only man she ever loved, and told her the truth because she had to go with her gut. Her gut told her that she could trust Cassandra and her gut was never wrong.

"Because I fell in love with your son," Liv said, holding her breath.

"I know," Cassandra said, happy that she'd felt comfortable enough to tell her the truth. A weaker woman would have lied to her face, but it seemed that Ms. Pope was made of stronger stuff than that. "You did the right thing," she said.

Liv released her breath, shocked.

Cassandra laughed and said, "Don't look so startled, dear. What else could you have done? If you'd stayed, you would have become more reckless and eventually caught. And it couldn't have been easy seeing him with Mellie," she said.

Liv shook her head, still mute. This conversation was so surreal. Out of all the responses she would've expected from Fitz's mother—shock, anger, or disgust—to receive acceptance and understanding was strangely…liberating.

"Why do you love Fitz?" Cassandra asked her.

Liv wondered how she could put her feelings into words. "I love him because I believe in him," she said simply.

"I love his courage, his strength, and his inability to remain silent in the face of someone else's suffering. I fell in love with his smile, his warmth, and the way he treats his children. I love his selflessness and his thoughtfulness. Above all things, I love him because I believe he is the other half of me; not in the sense that without him, I am only half of a person, or that I'm incomplete. I am whole, but broken, without him; but I mean that he is the part that causes me to be greater, to be better, to be _more_." Liv finished. She wasn't explaining it right but that was how she felt. She looked up at Cassandra and asked, "Is that wrong?"

Cassandra threw her head back and laughed. Fitz had asked her the exact same question just the day before. She knew now what Fitz saw in the young woman and Cassandra heartily approved. Never in her life had she met a woman who she thought was good enough to be the mate to her son until now.

"I am not the authority on right or wrong, dear," Cassandra said smiling. Picking up a particularly leafy piece of her salad, she said, "But I do know that you are good for Fitz. And that you both love one another with an abandon that people don't allow themselves anymore."

Liv smiled, relaxing for the first time since they'd sat down for lunch. "Then you're not mad?" she asked.

"No," Cassandra said, shaking her head. "I'm glad."

"What did I miss?" Fitz said, smiling broadly as he walked into the room. He'd been standing outside the door long enough to hear Olivia's confession and it had moved him to hear her speak that way about him. He knew that there was nothing in the world that he would give her up for.

"Oh nothing," Cassandra said, winking at Liv. "Just catching up, that's all," she said.

* * *

"Fitz, we have that photo shoot with _Time_ magazine tomorrow morning. They want to get a photo of the President of the United States with his newborn son," Mellie said as she walked into the Oval Office. She'd arrived with the kids a couple hours ago and just wanted to go to bed. But she also had to remind Fitz of his duty to her, as he'd been more than standoffish with her and the baby since the birth.

Mellie knew that it pained Fitz to pretend to be the doting father of a child that wasn't his, but really, Mellie had left him no choice. She feared that his attitude towards Thomas would soon be noticed by others so thought the best way to squash any doubts was to show the world their picture-perfect family. This photo shoot was supposed to solidify the idea that all was well and prosperous in the Grant household.

"I canceled it," Fitz said to Mellie, glancing up to look her in the eye. He'd just gotten his Olivia back and Fitz had made the decision that he wasn't going to do what he didn't want to do ever again. Mellie wanted the world to see that she and Fitz were happy, but he could no longer keep up the lie. He didn't deny the child publicly, but he also didn't have to appear on a world-renowned magazine cover just to appease Mel.

"What?!" Mellie yelled at Fitz. "Why on earth would you do that?" she asked.

Fitz calmly said as he kept signing papers, "Because I didn't want to do it. I never did."

"That's it? That's all you have to say?" Mellie asked, so furious she could scream. She'd had a terrible day already, and this was just the icing on the cake. Her baby's father had been calling her incessantly, wanting to see Thomas. Not only was it dangerous for them both, but Mellie thought he was becoming way too attached. All day Mellie had tried dodging his calls and deleting his voicemails.

"That's all I _have_ to say," said Fitz. He looked up from his papers and asked, "Was there anything else?"

Mellie wished she could throw something at his head. And if he wasn't the POTUS, she would have. But his position, unfortunately, kept her from physically harming him. Fighting to gain her composure, Mellie kept her silence. She turned on her heel and headed towards the door when Fitz said something that made her stop cold.

"Oh, and one more thing," Fitz said, "My mother is here."

Just when Mellie thought her day couldn't get any worse, it did. Mellie knew for a fact that Fitz's mother hated her. No matter how cordial and friendly Mellie acted towards her, Cassandra Grant was one person who never fell for her charms. It was as if she'd seen inside Mellie's heart and found her lacking. Saying nothing, Mellie relaxed her shoulders and pasted on a smile as she left Fitz's office.

* * *

"Mr. President?" Hal asked, stepping through the open door of Fitz's office. "The secure line you requested has been opened."

"Thank you," Fitz said, dismissing Hal. After he'd closed the door, Fitz quickly picked up the phone.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Sir, everything is in place. Operation: Livy is a go. I have secured everything for you in a secure safe deposit box at the West Financial Bank. The key will be mailed to your secretary today. The code you'll need is 361772094. You'll also need to know 5821," the male voice on the other line stated.

"And James Ward?" Fitz asked. This part of the plan was critical, as it would free Fitz like nothing else could.

"Taken care of. He's been persuaded to go the route of honesty rather than lingering in the shadows," the voice said.

"Good," Fitz said, relaxing in his seat. All he had to do now was pick a date. His term ended in a little under a year, but Fitz didn't want to wait anymore. "Thank you again. You have no idea how much this means to me—" Fitz started,

"No thanks is required, sir," Huck interrupted. "Good luck."

Fitz slowly hung up the phone as the line went dead. He looked around his office. It truly was a magnificent office, a place where great men had worked and served their country. Fitz had fought for many years to be sitting in the seat he now occupied. He had worked hard and sacrificed much, the greatest of which, was his happiness.

All so that he could sit in this chair.

Fitz's hands brushed along the arms of the chair as he sat back and admired his office. Then, smiling, he got up and moved to the door. As he closed it behind him, Fitz thought, _I won't miss it_.

* * *

Fox News: Breaking News!

"Samantha Vlasic, reporting. I am sitting here with a man who has some very serious claims regarding the President of the United States, the First Lady, and deceit at the very center of our nation. Sir,"  
Samantha said, turning to the man who walked into their news station an hour ago. "Please, tell the American public exactly what you told me."

The man was of medium height and build, with dark brown hair and very expensive clothes. He nodded at Samantha and braced himself as he began to speak. He knew that the minute he started talking, there'd be no way to take his words back, but he didn't want to take them back. He just wanted his family.

"My name is James Ward and I am in love with Mellie Grant. I am the father of her youngest child, Thomas, and I am here to tell the world the truth—"

* * *

**This was a really fun chapter to write, I hope you enjoyed it! Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Across the country, millions of Americans and news stations tuned in to listen to what James Ward was saying. Young reporters began to research the man's background immediately while a whole slew of reporters made their way to the White House for any glimpse or statement from the First Lady. Bloggers began speculating online and the interview went viral, appearing on YouTube and twitter accounts all over the world. Within minutes, it was the breaking news story at every major news station. Within an hour, millions of Americans were wondering, _"Is it true? Where is the First Lady? And what does the President of the United States have to say about this?"_

* * *

Liv woke up with a big smile on her face. She and Fitz were back together and she never wanted to be apart again. Stretching, she got up to shower and dress. As she poured her coffee, Liv turned on the morning news and checked her cell phone. She'd gotten a new message from Fitz. _"Good morning baby. Miss you." _Liv smiled and had just texted back _'I love you'_ when the news reporters' words finally began to register.

"My name is James Ward and I am in love with Mellie Grant. I am the father of her youngest child, Thomas, and I am here to tell the world the truth—"

Liv calmly placed her coffee down and began to flip to other channels. Every news station was picking up the story and Liv's phone, predictably, began to ring.

"Hello?" Liv answered.

Mellie cried, "Get down here, Olivia. I need your expertise. I need you to fix this!"

How many times had Olivia heard those words from the mouths of the people who employed her? She'd lost count. Her clients only came to Olivia when they were most desperate, and Mellie was definitely at that point.

"This time, I think you've done more than even _I_ can help you with, Mel." Liv said. Olivia had no desire to help her, and not just because she didn't like her. It was because she'd cheated on Fitz. Mellie had the one thing in the world that Liv wanted more than anything and she just threw it all away. Fitz was the greatest of prizes but Mellie didn't love him and didn't want him. It baffled Liv, but then again, she was sure there were parts of the story that she wasn't privy to.

"You will help me with this, Liv." Mellie said angrily into the phone. She'd been in the White House, on her way downstairs, when one of the hallway televisions had broadcasted her lover's confession. That idiot! What on earth did he think he was doing?

Mel had glanced around and people were looking at her with censure and distaste. Mellie had panicked and denied knowledge of the man, claiming he was insane to make such false allegations. Mellie had run to the Oval Office, ready to grovel if necessary so that Fitz would back her up.

When she'd walked in, Fitz had been texting—texting!—on a cell phone.

"Fitz, we have an emergency," Mellie said, "Thomas' father has exposed us on national television," she said, worried.

"I know, I saw that a little while ago," Fitz said, still looking down at his phone.

Losing her temper, Mellie said, "Then what are we going to do?!" She didn't understand why he wasn't taking this more seriously.

"There is nothing I can do, Mel. You chose to have a child with someone who is obviously willing to risk it all to be with you. It's kind of romantic in a way, don't you think?" Fitz asked. Olivia had just texted him, saying that she loved him. There was nothing that could ruin his day, and besides, it looked like Huck's little visit with Mr. Ward had proven fruitful indeed.

That vein was popping in Mellie's forehead, the one that meant she was only seconds from exploding. "This makes you look just as bad as I do, Fitz. You lied to the public and told them you'd fathered the child—"

Fitz cut her off, saying, "I had no idea that the child wasn't mine and I am outraged that my loving wife would ever cheat on me. I am appalled by her actions and I am saddened by this turn of events," Fitz said, smiling. He liked seeing her squirm but he had no intentions of throwing her under the bus in front of the public. She deserved more from him, not because he loved her, but because the position she'd held in his life for more than fifteen years demanded that he honor her.

Mellie's mouth gaped open at Fitz's apparent happiness. She realized that she'd be getting no help from him and turned to the only recourse left to her. Still staring at Fitz, Mel pulled out her blackberry and dialed a number. Putting the phone to her ear, she said, "Get down here, Olivia. I need your expertise. I need you to fix this!"

Fitz's expression turned from smug to neutral. He hoped that this was one situation that Liv couldn't fix, for Mellie's condemnation by the public was the only thing that could get him a clean divorce. And by the sound of Mellie's side of the conversation, Liv wasn't trying to break any traffic laws to get here to help.

"You threatened me the last time we spoke and now you want my help? Why should I do this?" Liv asked.

"Because it'll hurt _him_," she said smugly, still looking at Fitz.

That gave Olivia pause. It _would_ hurt Fitz. This story was only going to pick up speed, especially after the Amanda Tanner scandal. A president can only have so many scandals during his turn, the first one being one too many.

"Not as much as it will hurt you, Mellie," Liv said. Fitz might come under scrutiny, but not for several days. Olivia could see it clearly. Currently, the public was focused on James Ward as they listened to his side of the story. Then, they will demand Mellie's denial or confession. The longer Mellie stayed hidden, the worse it'll be for her when she does come forward.

If Mellie tells the truth, not only did she cheat on the President of the United States, but she also lied about the paternity of the child she bore. She would be seen as an adulterer and a liar, and no one would be on her side.

If Mellie lies about what James has said, she will inevitably be caught since a simple paternity test would prove his claims. And any attempt to bring Fitz down with her will just make her seem desperate to throw off the attention she's attracting.

Basically, this was one crisis that Liv wasn't sure she could fix even if she wanted to. Unless James was willing to retract his statements (which, by the conviction in his voice, she'd bet that he wasn't), then there was nothing that could save Mellie now.

"I'm sorry, Mellie," Liv said, not wishing such a fate on her worst enemy. "But I cannot help you." Liv hung up the phone and Mel listened to a dead line. She threw down her phone and looked at Fitz, who seemed completely unfazed.

"Did you care for me at all?" she asked him.

Fitz seemed taken aback by the question and thought about it. Finally, he said, "Once. Years ago, before I realized that we didn't really love each other. That we were roommates rather than a couple and that we could both do better. That we both deserved better," he paused. "Did you ever care for _me_ at all?" he asked, not really expecting Mellie to pour out her heart to him.

"No," Mellie said, brutally honest. "No, I did not." She turned around and walked out the door, quietly shutting the door behind her.

* * *

Breaking News: CNN Live

"This is Cedric Simmons, reporting live from the White House. There has still been no word from Mellie Grant, the First Lady of the United States, in regards to the claims involving a man named James Ward. He claims to be her lover and the father of her youngest child, Thomas Grant.

"The story was first exposed four days ago and Mrs. Grant is nowhere in sight. President Grant, however, issued a statement several days ago. In that statement, he admitted that his marriage with Mellie Grant was only a marriage in name only, and that they were not a perfect couple. The president expressed no anger or hurt at his wife's actions; instead, he wished his wife happiness with Mr. Ward. And since Mellie Grant has not made an appearance to defend herself against these allegations, the general consensus among the populace is that she is guilty.

"Furthermore, I've just gotten word a few moments ago that the President of the United States has filed for divorce. Ronald Reagan was the first and only sitting president to divorce his wife in the history of the United States, and President Fitzgerald Grant would be the second. As shocking as it is to have a sitting president file for divorce in America, I don't think anyone is going to be surprised to learn the news in light of Mrs. Grant's actions. Cedric Simmons, reporting."

* * *

Fitz was looking for Olivia.

Huck had put everything in place for him. Fitz had gone to the bank earlier (after having his agents sweep the building and empty it of people) and taken out all the materials he needed. Money, travel documents, travel guides…all of it was there. The only thing he needed now was the most important part—his Liv.

But he didn't want Olivia to think that she was just a secret to him. She referred to herself as his mistress once and it had hurt him because she was much more than that to him. Always had been. But if he asked her to run away from him now, it would diminish what they had with each other.

It would seem like they were running.

And he wasn't running. He was leaving, with her by his side. And he had a plan that involved proving to both her and the entire world that his love for her was stronger and more than just lust or a fling. They were forever, and she _mattered_ to him, more than anything.

He passed the conference room and saw the press there to talk to Liv about her latest high-profile client, Griffin-something. _This was the perfect moment_, Fitz thought. He took a deep breath and began to walk towards her.

"Let me be perfectly clear: my client, John Griffith, is innocent of these ridiculous allegations. He is an upstanding citizen of the law and—" Liv's words were immediately cut off as, in the middle of her speech, Fitz walked onto to the stage, grabbed Liv around the waist, and kissed her in front of the cameras.

Everyone started snapping away at the lenses and shouting questions, but Liv didn't hear any of it. When his arms had wrapped around her, she had been afraid at first. Afraid of what people might think and what they might say about her. But when his lips touched hers, she didn't hesitate to lift her hands to his face, because when his lips touched hers, everything was right with the world. So she kissed him back with all the love she felt for him. She was so indescribably happy that he would lay himself on the line like that for her, in front of billions of people.

"What are you doing?" she whispered against his lips when he finally pulled away.

"Making it right," Fitz said, smiling slightly. Fitz turned to briefly say into the microphone, "If you, the people, ask it of me, then I will resign from my seat as the President of the United States."

Then Fitz kissed Liv swiftly but firmly, and said "I love you." He grabbed her hand and led her away from the stage…

* * *

Epilogue

"Fitz, where are we going?" Liv asked. She was so happy she couldn't stand still. After what happened at the press conference, one might expect Olivia to be tense and nervous, but she was the opposite. The man that she loved had just confessed publically that he loved her and no one else. He had just told the world how much she meant to him and that was worth more than any earthly treasure to Liv.

"If I told you where we were going, you wouldn't need a blindfold on, now would you?" Fitz asked in her ear. He was leading her by the hand through the White House doors and outside. He led her down the steps and through a path that he had taken many times before.

Fitz looked around once more to make sure that everything was in place before he stood behind Olivia. He wrapped his arms around her waist and told her, "Take the blindfold off."

Liv lifted her hands and pulled the cloth from her eyes only to gasp in shock when her eyes adjusted to the scene before her.

It was their spot.

He had strung up white lights across the bushes and trees in the area and had somehow gotten white candles to be hung up all around them. The candles were far enough away from the trees that they wouldn't burn them down, but close enough to still look cozy and warm. Olivia's eyes filled with tears as she turned in Fitz's arms. He released her and bent down on one knee as he looked up into her eyes.

And he said, "Olivia Lynnette Pope, you are the love of my life. And if you grant me the gift of becoming my wife, I swear to you that I will love you always. That I will never leave you and not one day will go by that I don't tell you how amazing, and beautiful, and exquisite you are. You mean more to me than my friends, public opinion, or the presidential seat," he said. Fitz pulled out a beautiful emerald cut, three stone diamond ring, and slid it onto her finger. The inscription on the inner band of the ring read:

One minute was never enough

"And if you say yes," Fitz continued, "There'd be no happier man in all of existence—"

"Yes," Olivia whispered before he finished. She bent down and threw herself into his arms. "Today and forever, yes," she said into his ear. Fitz smiled and pulled away to kiss her, and he promised himself that he'd never let her go again.

Fitzgerald Grant married Olivia Pope at a quiet ceremony in Paris. They stayed in France together for two years before they moved back to the United States and settled in a home in Virginia. Olivia re-opened her Crisis Management firm and Fitz eventually became the mayor of the state. They had four children, three boys and a girl, and lived happy, full, and passionate lives together, to the end of their days. It went down in history that while President Grant hadn't been the best, or most morally sound President this country had ever seen, he was, perhaps, the bravest. After all, Fitz Grant and Olivia Pope were _meant to be_.

The End

* * *

**Hello to all! Mellie disgracefully left the White House but James Ward didn't get the family he'd hoped for with her and baby Thomas. Fitz, of course, had to resign from office and Sally Langston became president, but she was a good president, don't worry.**

**Huge thanks to all of you who have written reviews and followed my stories. My imagination sometimes carries me to exciting and unexpected places, and I'm so glad to be able to share those places with you through my words. I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have in writing it, and I can't wait for season 2 of Scandal so I can have more material to inspire me for more stories in the future. Fanfic only allows us to keep a story online for 90 days so if you'd like a pdf copy of this story in its entirety, 'review' this chapter and add your email address using (dot com) so that I can send it to you. Happy reading everyone, and God bless!**

**Amaryllis214**


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